The Night Before Life Goes On
by OTHBrucas
Summary: EC. Always.
1. Chapter 1

His arm snaked around Calleigh's waist as she sat staring at the stars. Despite her best efforts to be a big girl about it, she couldn't help but let a few tears escape when Eric kissed the side of her head.

"Oh…Calleigh please don't cry" Eric whispered against her hair. "I hate when you cry"

Resilient Calleigh Duquesne that she was, she furiously wiped away her tears and continued to avoid Eric's penetrating gaze. It was a beautiful August night in Miami, unusually cool, the kind you wanted to bottle up for a lifetime. The stars and moon shined with all their glory and it left Calleigh with a sinking and hopeless feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"This isn't fair" she finally spoke, after ten minutes of silence.

"I know, sweetheart, I do and I'm sorry" Eric said, looking directly at her. "I wish I didn't have to leave"

"Why did you decide to go? To TUSCALOOSA?" her voice was trembling, which made her even angrier. Calleigh hated anything that showed weakness, but Eric was her weakness.

"My sister is at the University of Alabama, Cal. I've already lost one and barely had time with the other. I haven't seen my parents in forever. I need to be there for them, until the sting of Marisol's death isn't so sharp" Eric said. "It's a tough situation"

"Maybe we shouldn't be together, then, Eric. Maybe we need to go our separate ways for a little while…I mean you obviously have more important things on your mind and maybe I need to not let this get in the way of my career" Calleigh said.

"Damn it, Calleigh!" Eric threw off the blanket they were covered in. "Don't punish for me for trying to make the right decision!"

"I'm not punishing you, I'm trying to save us from getting hurt…we're not gambling with other people's lives, Eric, we're gambling with our own hearts!" Calleigh said. "And I don't wanna wait for someone who might be totally different when he comes back!"

"Fine…why don't you go crying to your precious Jake and have him make it all better?" Eric spat. "Go be with someone whose baggage free Calleigh, see if I care!"

"Maybe I will" Calleigh said, now crying from the sting of Eric's words. She got up and grabbed her purse, heading for her car.

"Calleigh…wait! Cal! I didn't mean that…" Eric's voice trailed off as she got in her car, firmly ignoring him, and drove off.

Eric threw the blanket on the floor and cursed loudly. This wasn't what he needed, not from resilient, firm and steady Calleigh. He was counting on her to smile knowingly, kiss him and tell him she would wait until he cleaned up the skeletons in his closet.

But it wasn't fair to expect that of her, his conscience nagged. She loves you, Eric. She doesn't want to lose you. She can't always be understanding. Eric willed his conscience to shut the hell up so he could think.

"Hey, man. Rough night?" his roommate and coworker Ryan Wolfe came outside in his boxers.

"Calleigh's pissed I'm moving, and I can't even blame her" Eric rubbed his eyes. "I want her to understand, but I know why she doesn't"

"You gotta look at it this way, man. She thought the relationship was guaranteed- you guys work together so you see each other everyday…it was totally foolproof until you poked a hole in it"

"Thanks, Ryan…makes me feel great"

"I totally understand why you've gotta do what you've gotta do, but maybe you should let Calleigh know you understand how unfair it is to her" Ryan advised. "You're EXPECTING her to understand…that's not fair"

"I know, I know" Eric pulled his keys out of his pocket. "I'll go fix this mess"

"Be careful" Ryan said. "Calleigh can fire a gun"

Eric cracked a smile. At least Ryan was on his side.

Eric pulled into Calleigh's driveway and quietly let himself into her house with his key. She wasn't on the couch watching TV, but Eric knew chances were that she was sitting in her favorite spot at the back of the house- a window seat where he had found her numerous times thinking over a case or reading a book.

Sure enough, there she was, curled up on the window seat. Except this time she was crying, not thinking. And Eric wanted to kick himself, repeatedly, for causing her pain. After all Calleigh hardly ever cried and it was terrifying to Eric that he had enough power over her to make her cry.

"Cal?"

"What are you doing here, Eric?" she said, turning her face away from him. "I don't wanna talk to you"

Eric sighed and sat down next to her anyway. Cautiously, he put his arms around her and instead of resisting like he thought she would, she sank into his embrace. "I'm so sorry I was such a jerk" Eric mumbled into her ear. "I'm such an asshole"

"Yeah, you are" Calleigh said, sniffing. "You're lucky my gun was at home"

"I love you, Cal…I'm sorry I said the things I did" Eric apologized again. "Please forgive me, and then we can work something out?"

"Apology accepted" she said quietly, not sure whether she was doing the right thing.

"Thank god…I wouldn't have been able to sleep tonight knowing you were mad at me" Eric confessed.

"Spend the night here" Calleigh whispered. "With me"

"On the couch?" Eric asked.

"No silly…in bed" Calleigh murmured.

"What are you insinuating, CSI Duquesne?" Eric whispered.

"Exactly what you're thinking" Calleigh said, kissing him.

--

"Natalia! Hey!" Ryan answered the phone cheerfully.

"Hey you…what's going on?" Natalia asked.

"Nothing, just hanging around the house"

"Listen, I need a favor…H wanted private police protection for my sister and I couldn't think of anyone better than you, if you were willing to take a few hours off"

"Of course, I would love to" Ryan said.

"Thanks, that makes me feel about a hundred times better- knowing Anya's safe with you until the trial is over"

"Of course…listen do you wanna grab coffee tomorrow?" Ryan asked.

"Sure!" Natalia said, and Ryan's spirits soared at the enthusiastic tone in her voice. "So I'll see you tomorrow, at Anya's?"

"Yeah, definitely" Ryan smiled, and hung up the phone. He couldn't put his finger on it, but all of a sudden his sprits had soared sky high.

--

Calleigh and Eric furiously kissed as they fell onto her bed. Eric couldn't keep his head straight as he thought about where this could be heading. He and Calleigh hadn't gone much further than some serious make-out sessions, and boy, was he looking forward to this.

Eric kissed her with more vigor and intensity and slowly let his hands trail down her arms. So far, she hadn't made any move to stop him. He slid his hands back up her arms and kept kissing her. _Don't be an asshole and push her _he reminded himself. _Don't mess this up_. Her hair fell like a golden curtain around them as they got lost in the sensations.

When he felt Calleigh responding to his quickly intensifying kissing, he slowly tugged her shirt off one shoulder. Immediately, he could smell her body wash and lingering perfume and it was intoxicating.

To his utter surprise, Calleigh did absolutely nothing to stop him. He teased his finger under her fire-engine red bra strap and slowly pulled it down. His head spun faster and faster as he realized that Calleigh was unbuttoning his shirt.

"Cal, are you sure about this?" he asked, breaking away from the kissing temporarily.

"Positive" she breathed.

That was all the assurance he needed from her. He pulled her shirt over her head and traced his thumbs over the swell of her breasts. Her sighs abruptly became moans as he unhooked her bra. As he trailed his kisses down her body, she ran her hands over his now unclothed back.

"Cal, are you absolutely sure? I mean this is going to complicate things so much"

"Eric, you are the only man I know who can find reasons _not_ to have sex" Calleigh laughed.

"No, listen" Eric said. "I love you so much, Cal. I don't want to ruin anything over one night. If this is going to change us for the worse, I'd rather hold off"

"It wont, Eric, I promise" Calleigh whispered. Eric kissed her roughly, and then it happened. They moved in perfect symphony until they fell together. When he opened his eyes, he realized Calleigh was crying.

"Uh oh…Calleigh, did I hurt you?" Eric asked her, his heart pounding.

"No, no it's not that …sorry I just totally killed the mood" she said, but her voice had a little hitch in it as she tried to play it off as nothing.

"Oh no…I know what this is about…this is about me leaving for Tuscaloosa…come here" Eric said. He sat up and draped the blanket around her, holding her tightly.

"What am I going to do without you?" Calleigh asked, wiping her now fast-falling tears. She _hated_ being vulnerable and most of all, crying. Eric was one of the very few people who could make her cry, and she hated that.

"Calleigh…baby I'm so sorry" Eric whispered, holding her tighter. "I wish I could fix this for you…I want to, so badly"

"I don't wanna talk about this…can we just go to sleep?" Calleigh asked, her head pounding from the emotion and feeling running through her body.

"Of course" Eric whispered, letting her settle against him. He stroked her hair till she finally fell asleep, the tears she was crying drying in salty tracks down her face. He couldn't help but feel choked up himself when he thought about leaving Calleigh here, in Miami.

There would be no more surprise kisses in the evidence locker. Or too-long lunch breaks. Or quick make-out sessions in the Hummer. No getting caught by Natalia and Ryan, made fun of by Valera and Sam. No more glimpses of dancing blonde hair or whiffs of her incredibly intoxicating Chanel perfume from across the lab. It was too much, Eric thought. Right now, in this moment, he was going to enjoy Calleigh's steady breathing, her fluttering eyelashes, and her vanilla shampoo. He was going to enjoy _her_.


	2. Chapter 2

"Calleigh, can you run this sample to DNA?" Alexx Woods asked. "Calleigh, honey, why is your head up in a cloud?"

"Sorry, Alexx…I've just got a lot on my mind" Calleigh faked a smile, knowing it was a futile attempt Alexx was going to see right through.

"Don't even give me that, Calleigh Duquesne. You miss Eric, don't you?" Alexx said, putting her arms around Calleigh. Calleigh nodded, trying to stop the waterworks from starting again.

"I HATE this, Alexx, I hate it" Calleigh whispered. "I cry at the drop of a hat now, I never used to do that. I can't even think straight and my job performance is suffering. It sucks so much."

"Baby, you're just in love" Alexx laughed. "You're going to be absolutely fine, Eric or no Eric. You're a strong girl."

"I don't feel very strong lately" Calleigh said. "I need to shoot someone."

"You might just have a chance to" Jake Berkeley emerged from behind the wall. "We've got a hostage situation in Star Island"

"JAKE? You're back!" Calleigh cracked a genuine smile for the first time in the last three weeks. She hugged him tightly and he returned the affection eagerly, winking at the disapproving look on Alexx's face.

"I'm back, indeed…how's it been without me, beautiful? Lonely?"

"Very lonely…my eyes have been deprived of your stud-like qualities for 5 months now" Calleigh flirted. Her conscience nagged at her, telling her that flirting with Jake was not going to help her situation.

Alexx shot the two of them another motherly disapproving look and sighed, walking away.

"Seriously though, Cal, how've you been?" Jake asked. "Heard about you and uh, Delko"

"Yeah" Calleigh said. "That's kind of…a sore subject right now"

"A bad breakup, huh?"

"Nope, we're still together. He's just in Tuscaloosa"

"Tuscaloosa…good lord" Jake said. "Anyway, how about working a case with an old friend to get your mind off of things?"

"Sounds like fun…maybe I'll actually get to shoot someone" Calleigh quipped, following the detective out the door.

----

Eric was dismayed at his new workplace. Alabama was doing a low rate job of compensating for the Sunshine State he was so used to. Sighing, he sat down in his chair. He felt like he had lost all gumption for his work- he was away from his team and the woman who had his heart.

His fingers automatically dialed Calleigh's number, permanently ingrained in his brain. He listened to the tone, willing Calleigh to pick up. He needed her sweet southern voice to lift his spirits.

"Hello?" she said.

"How is the most beautiful girl in Miami?"

"Eric!" joy infected her voice as she realized Eric was on the other end. "How's Alabama?"

"Doesn't matter…it sucks that I'm not with you" Eric said. Calleigh immediately felt tears well up. She bit her lip in an attempt to stop herself, angry that yet again one statement made her tear up.

"It sucks that you're not here, too, Eric. But you've gotta make the best of it. And I'll see you in a few weeks" she reasoned with herself more than him.

"I know, it's just…I miss you" Eric said cautiously, hearing the tears in her voice. Trying not to make her too upset, he changed the subject. "How is everyone?"

"Good…Jake's back" Calleigh said, with a little too much happiness.

"Lovely"

"Oh, Eric, I know you don't like him but it's a nice to have someone around to make me laugh"

"Ryan wasn't enough?" jealousy adulterated his voice.

"Don't be so grumpy" Calleigh teased. "I love you, no matter what. Don't forget that"

"Yeah, yeah" he grumbled. "Look, I gotta go work. Call me tonight?"

"Will do" Calleigh said.

"Hey, Cal?" he asked before she hung up, feeling guilty about his sullen mood.

"Yeah?"

"I love you, more than you know. I'm sorry I'm being such a jerk…I just miss you, a lot."

"I miss you too, Eric" Calleigh whispered, and hung up the phone. The conversation had left her with a strange void that she felt needed to be filled.

"Hey" Jake popped up behind her. "Did CODIS get a hit?"

"Nope, it's still running" Calleigh sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Long day?"

"I've had longer" Calleigh smiled. "So…how was your leave?"

"It was fantastic, I can't even tell you. I got to spend five months with my nieces and my sisters and it was the most relaxing experience of my life"

"Nieces? There are more now?" Calleigh asked, laughing.

"Yup! Twin girls"

"Oh! Congratulations that's fantastic news"

"Yeah…so what've we got on this one?"

"Well CODIS still hasn't gotten a hit on the blood left behind on the concrete of the victim's house"

"It's probably not in there…have DNA run it against her father"

"Her father? Didn't we just speak with him?"

"That was her stepfather" Jake gave her one of his looks and she raised an eyebrow.

"How'd you know that?"

"Saw a family tree she made for art class taped to the fridge…her real father's name is Stanley"

"You are one observant guy, Jake. I wonder why they didn't tell us" Calleigh said.

"They must be trying to hide something"

"Must be…and we are just the team to uncover it…ready?" Calleigh asked.

"As always" Jake followed her out the door.

--

"Eric! Let me introduce you to the most amazing DNA analyst ever". His coworker John motioned to a beautiful redhead standing next to him.

"Christine Upshaw" she said, shaking his hand.

"Pleasure"

"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine" she smiled, tossing her red curls. "Listen, I gotta get back to running a DNA sample…catch up with you guys later" she sashayed out of the room.

"She really is something" John said, looking after her wistfully. "Sounded like she liked the looks of you"

"I've got a very serious girlfriend, John" Eric rolled his eyes. "I'm not interested"

"Girlfriend, right? Not fiancée or wife…you never know" John winked. "Anyway, let's get working…what are we looking at?"

"These are all the hospitals he's been admitted to…five in the last three months"

"For chronic knee pain? And he's never had any surgery?"

"Looks like he's in it for the pain meds…look…everything prescribed is a high dosage of morphine. He's a morphine addict"

"That would've taken the other CSIs about two hours to figure out" John commended Eric.

"I've worked with the best" Eric said, wistfully thinking about the people who he considered family back in Miami.

"I can tell…what do you say we go out for drinks tonight?"

"With?" Eric eyed his new coworker suspiciously.

"The CSI team…don't worry I'm not trying to set you up Mr. Righteousness" John laughed.

"Sure, sounds like a good time" Eric said, examining the papers closer and handing John a stack to go through.

----

"Talia! Have you run the DNA sample from the father against the blood we found?"

"It's a match to her father" Natalia looked at Ryan. "Poor girl…what a disaster"

"I know…we've got people out looking for her but who knows where she is" Ryan rubbed his face. "Sometimes I wonder why I do this for a living"

"Yeah seriously" Natalia said. "So hey, we never got that coffee"

"I know! How about at lunch?"

"Sounds like a plan" Natalia smiled and Ryan felt his heart jump. It took him by surprise- he hadn't expected being so attracted to Natalia.

"So what are your plans for Christmas?" he made small talk as they walked back through the lab.

"I'm probably going to go see my parents and sisters" Natalia said. "Yours?"

"Going to go hang out with sisters too" Ryan laughed. "Playing babysitter for all my nieces and nephews"

"Welcome to the club!" Natalia laughed. "Anyway, I really hope they find this hostage. I gotta run and tell Horatio the results- I'll catch up with you later at lunch." They parted and Ryan stood in the middle of the lab, smiling, until Dan Cooper smacked him on the shoulder.

"Why do you look like you just won a million dollars?"

"No reason, Coop. Why don't you make yourself useful and run the surveillance tape?"

"Yes, boss" Cooper rolled his eyes and stalked off to A/V, with Ryan following suit.

--

"So you and Eric, huh? No one saw that one coming" Jake said, sarcasm pervading his voice.

"Very funny, Jake. Eric and I've liked each other for a while"

"Calleigh he's been in love with you for YEARS, not months. Try about 7 or 8 years. Don't you sometimes wonder why he didn't have a lasting relationship?"

"Not really" Calleigh considered this. "I just guessed it wasn't his thing"

"He was too busy waiting for you"

"Thanks for making me feel guilty" Calleigh said, playfully glaring at him. "Anyway, why do you care so much about Eric and I anyway? Aren't you with someone?"

"Sort of. She's nothing compared to you, though"

"Jake. Don't do this"

"Do what?" he asked innocently.

"Try to bring _us_ into the equation. You know we're long over"

"Says who? We're a pretty good team, aren't we?"

"We are" Calleigh smiled at him. "Professionally"

"Oh…don't tell me you've forgotten all of our nights"

"Jake…"

"Come on that had to be the best sex you've ever had" Jake said.

"You're so blunt!" Calleigh exclaimed.

"What? Eric can't be better than me"

"This discussion is CLOSED, Jake" Calleigh said firmly. "This is completely inappropriate". Her tone was serious, but a smile was dancing across her lips as she realized how nice it was to feel pursued again.

A/N: Review! Suggestions are always fantastic :)


	3. Chapter 3

The days flew by, and Christmastime approached faster and faster for the CSI team. So did Eric and Calleigh's six month anniversary, and Calleigh was had planned on surprising him in Alabama.

As Calleigh made her way up the steps to Tuscaloosa PD, her thoughts wandered. Having Jake back was a welcome break, though he tended to cross boundaries every now and then. As much as Calleigh enjoyed his company, she was feeling increasingly uncomfortable about the hours they spent together. Though their relationship had grown into a strong friendship, Calleigh knew the x factor was there. Despite how much she loved Eric, she _had_ dated Jake and he had been her first everything…and that definitely counted for something.

Meanwhile, Eric already had his suitcase out, ready to pack any day. His misery regarding Alabama was tangible to the CSI team in Tuscaloosa, but he kept it out of his voice when he talked to Calleigh and everyone back home. Sighing, he flipped another piece of evidence over, not feeling up to fingerprinting every inch of it.

"Eric! How's it going?" Christine, the beautiful redhead, sauntered in.

"Good…you?" Eric responded amiably, groaning an inward groan- she always flirted shamelessly with Eric and it put him in an incredibly uncomfortable position.

"Good…can I have a look?" she leaned in close to Eric, peering over sample. He could smell her perfume, noticed the length of her eyelashes, how the light reflected her red hair in the most perfect sheen. He kicked himself for having these thoughts about someone else, and before he could send Calleigh a silent apology, he found himself kissing her.

She had kissed him first; he was responding eagerly. Apologies and excuses ran through his head but he couldn't find it in himself to stop. He pushed her against a wall, his hands making their way up her skirt. In the mirror kitty corner to their position, he caught sight of blonde hair and didn't pay a thought to it until he realized that it was Calleigh's blonde hair.

Eric's heart sank as he realized he hadn't stopped kissing Christine in time. And it wasn't helping that she was still pressed against the wall and her skirt was still halfway up her legs.

Calleigh's bright green eyes dimmed at the sight. She looked from Eric to Christine and back to Eric.

"Happy six month anniversary, Eric" she spat, and stalked out of the lab.

"Calleigh!" he called, running after her, letting Christine slide down the wall faster than oil.

"What a mistake" Calleigh said, walking faster, while Eric fought to keep up. Tears were running down her face faster than she could stop them. "Coming here was such a mistake. You were such a mistake"

"Calleigh, don't say that…Calleigh!" he grabbed her arm.

"DON'T touch me" she hissed back with such vengeance that Eric reeled back from the shock of seeing her act like that.

"Calleigh, seriously, let me explain- this is the first time this has happened"

"You expect me to believe that bullshit? Are you absolutely INSANE, Eric? Has sleeping with no brained sluts lowered your IQ?" Calleigh asked. They were now stopped in front of an elevator, arguing in low voices.

"I haven't slept with her, Calleigh! Let me explain!"

"Okay, Eric. You haven't slept with her. She kissed you, out of the blue. Is that what happened?"

"Yes, actually, that's exactly what happened"

"But you responded, didn't you? You're the one who had her pressed up against the wall and your hands up her skirt, right?"

"That's true, Cal, and I'm sorry, I really am" Eric said. "I didn't mean for it to happen that way, Calleigh, I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"And I'm supposed to believe that?" Calleigh asked, her voice more sad than angry. "Happy six month anniversary, Eric" she handed him a manila folder.

"What's this?"

"Open it, you'll see" her voice broke when he opened the folder and stilled completely. In it was a black and white sonogram of a tiny baby.

"Calleigh?" he asked.

"That's our daughter. She's four months along" Calleigh said, the tears again running rapidly down her face.

"Oh my god" Eric said, and pulled Calleigh into his arms. Her tears stained his collarbone, proof of her love, proof of his deceit, proof of the fact that Calleigh Duquesne was too good for him.

--

Natalia chewed her nails impatiently and glanced at her cell phone screen once again. Calleigh had called her, sobbing, from her hotel room, recounting her horrible afternoon. Their conversation had been interrupted by Eric's arrival at her room and Natalia was waiting impatiently for the I'm-okay call from Calleigh.

"Talia, stop worrying…Calleigh's a strong girl" Ryan patted Natalia's back sympathetically and sent hate vibes to his former partner for hurting such a good friend of his.

"Ryan! She's pregnant with his baby and just caught him getting hot and heavy with another woman…I'm so scared the stress is going to send her into some crazy episode"

"I know believe me I'm worried too" Ryan send, gently unknotting Natalia's hands. "She's going to be fine, Talia…do you want me to get you some coffee? A donut?"

"Coffee would be fabulous" Natalia said graciously. "Extra strong"

"Coming right up, Miss Boa Vista" Ryan shook his head and smiled at his colleague's caffeine addiction.

Natalia's phone tinkled and she lunged for it. "Tell me you're okay"

"I'm fine" Calleigh said. "Eric and I talked"

"Talked. And?"

"We still have a lot of figuring out to do, but I got some answers for what he did"

"I hope he had a good excuse"

"He didn't. I just chose to believe him" Calleigh said.

"You are too good for this, Calleigh. Come home. We're your friends…we'll help you raise this baby" Natalia said. "How'd Jake take the news?"

"Haven't told him yet- I thought Eric deserved to know first"

"Yeah" Natalia sighed. "Okay, go enjoy Tuscaloosa…call me anytime of the day or night if you need me, okay?"

"Okay, thanks"

"No problem" Natalia hung up the phone with another sigh.

"So? How is she?"

"Better" Natalia said. "He's going to get his ass kicked when he comes back"

"Tell me about it" Ryan said.

--

Calleigh had fallen asleep after their argument, but Eric couldn't. He was sitting in the chair in the hotel room, just staring at the tiny creature in the picture. Him and Calleigh had made that. A baby. His. Theirs.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?" Calleigh asked, awake, surprising him.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? I would've come home right away" Eric asked sorrowfully.

"I found out two weeks ago. I figured I'd save it for the surprise"

"This changes everything, Cal. I'm transferring back to MDPD"

"Eric. Don't do that, what about your family?" Calleigh asked.

"I've had a few months here…Calleigh, I cant not be there for you and our child" Eric told her. "I have to come home"

"Are you serious? You'd do that?" Calleigh asked softly, momentarily forgetting just how angry she was with him.

Eric shifted off the chair and onto to the bed. His thumb grazed her cheek tenderly. "Calleigh Duquesne, I love you. I would do anything for you, literally, anything. Of course I'm going to move back"

"What about the redhead…from the lab?" her voice caught again as she thought about what she had seen.

"I'm the biggest bastard, idiot, jerk, asshole, whatever you want to call me, on the entire planet. Truth is, everyone's been trying to set me up with her but I was never interested…she made a move on me and I responded and I'm sorry I did"

"You haven't asked me yet if the baby's really yours" Calleigh commented.

"I wouldn't insult you like that, Cal. And if she isn't, you can tell me"

"No, no Eric she's definitely yours" Calleigh said. "Who else's would she be?"

"Jake's?" Eric knew he was treading on eggshells.

"No way…we haven't been together in over a year" she convinced Eric.

"I believe you, Calleigh" Eric said, taking her hand. "I'm so sorry I'm such a piece of shit"

"So am I" Calleigh responded matter-of-factly, but a smile broke out across her face.

"See! Look…you don't hate me" Eric said, his heart swelling with joy.

"I could never hate you" Calleigh whispered. "No matter what you do to me"

"I love you" he said, kissing her stomach and making her giggle.

"Me, or her?"

"Both of you. Maria...Amanda…I always liked Sylvia"

"Eric, you're babbling nonsense"

"Catherine...Emily? Emma?"

"Delko! Explain yourself"

"I'm just brainstorming names" Eric said, kissing her. "Maybe Tallulah?"

"You are not naming my child Tallulah, Eric"

"She's half mine, you know…and you. You're all mine"


	4. Chapter 4

Calleigh sat in Eric's house, on the couch, surveying the piles of boxes that were sitting in the living room with a sigh. It was her day off and she had offered to help him with the unpacking. 

A key turned in the door and in came Ryan Wolfe, throwing off his suit jacket and loosening his tie.

"Ryan! What are you doing back so early?"

"Nobody got killed today, I didnt have anything to do so Horatio just sent me home"

"Well, its a good day then" Calleigh smiled.

"It is indeed...you need some help with those boxes?" he asked.

"Help would be fantastic" Calleigh laughed. "I'm baffled as to what to do with all his stuff...I never knew Eric was such a packrat"

"He is...he's been my roommate for forever and hes never cleaned out anything...it just all disappears into some sort of abyss" Ryan laughed.

"Okay lets get to hauling these boxes to his room" Calleigh grabbed a box and Ryan immediately took it from her hands.

"Cal, thats too heavy for you to lift"

"Ryan! I'm pregnant, not disabled" Calleigh groaned, annoyed at being treated like a child.

"I dont want you to get hurt!" Ryan exclaimed. At Calleigh's death eye, he chuckled. "Cal, you're stronger than most guys I know but please...Eric would kick my ass if he knew I let you lift heavy boxes"

"Thats true" Calleigh admitted. "How about we just dont tell him?"

"Cal..."

"Okay, okay" Calleigh grumbled. "If you're all going to start treating me like I'm debilitated then I'm going to be a brat about it and blame it on the hormones"

Ryan laughed and shook his head, dragging the box to Eric's room.

"So...whats going on between you and Natalia?" Calleigh asked slyly, throwing Ryan for a loop.

"What? Nothing" he said quickly.

"Come on, you guys arent going out behind the scenes? Like Eric and I did?"

"You and Eric were hardly behind the scenes" Ryan teased.

"Thats because Eric and I have trouble containing our attraction to each other" Calleigh laughed. "But seriously...Natalia's been mentioning you a LOT more lately"

"Has she?" Ryan tried to come off as nonchalant, but knew it was useless. Calleigh could sniff out bullshit from miles away.

"Mhmm...and she mentioned how nice you were to her while I was gone and how well you took care of her"

"I was just being a good friend" Ryan said.

"A good friend...or a GOOD friend?" Calleigh winked at Ryan, who blushed every shade of red possible.

"Calleigh! Have the hormones made you extra sassy?"

"Oh Ry...I am always extra sassy, I just keep it under reign" Calleigh patted his shoulder.

"Okay, okay Casanova..." Ryan laughed. "Which of these 9 million shirts does Eric wear on a regular basis?"

"Mmm the blue one, he looks so good in that one"

"Ew...you're talking about my best friend here" Ryan pretended to gag, making Calleigh giggle.

"Calleigh? Ryan? I'm back!" Eric called as he ambled through the house. "Hey guys, what are you doing?"

"Unpacking your things" Calleigh said, throwing a shirt at him and grinning.

"Ryan, you didnt let her lift anything heavy, did you?" Eric asked, moving over and kissing Calleigh on the forehead, his hands immediately wrapping around her stomach.

"Wouldnt dream of it" Ryan said. "She was only allowed to lift the light things"

"She cant lift ANYTHING" Eric clarified.

"Eric...baby I'm not disabled, just pregnant" Calleigh caressed his face, amused at his concern.

"But Calleigh...I googled it...pregnant women should rest a lot and not tire themselves...I talked to Horatio, we've decided that you should lay off the field work"

"Oh, so now I'm going to pushing papers for 9 months? Great" Calleigh threw down the shirt she was folding and stalked out of the room.

"Calleigh, wait!" Eric sighed and walked after her, matching her pace. He gently caught her arm and turned her around. "Hey, whats the matter?"

"You're always trying to control me, Eric! You know I dont do this controlling suffocating thing" Calleigh said.

"I know, I know! I'm sorry if you think I tried to control you but I'm just looking out for you...I dont want anything to happen to you"

"I appreciate that" Calleigh said, taking his hand. "But I'm already anxious enough about being pregnant and the new world I'm about to join and I just cant feel like everyone is suffocating me on top of it all"

"I swear we're only doing it because we care" Eric said. "I couldnt forgive myself if anything ever happened to you"

"Thats sweet" Calleigh said, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry I overreacted. I'm still stinging from your little tryst with that redhead"

"Understandably" Eric buried his face in her hair, enjoying her affection. "You should go home and rest, enjoy your day off. Ryan and I will take care of the unpacking. I'll see you tomorrow, hmm?"

"Okay" Calleigh kissed him goodbye quickly, and though they had made up, the air around them still felt unsettled.

-------

Natalia was about ready to climb into bed when she heard a knock on her door. Sighing, she made her way to the door.

"Ryan! What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised. When she opened the door, Ryan had a short term memory lapse at the sight of her in a silky black negligee.

"Umm...I saw that you were a little bummed at the lab today...thought I'd stop by with some Chinese and a movie to cheer you up?" he held up the bag, trying to stop his blood from rushing south.

"Oh that sounds fantastic" Natalia said, ushering him in. "How was your half day off?"

"It was good I helped Calleigh unpack Eric's things"

"Oh thats good...hows Calleigh doing? I havent had a chance to see her since she got back"

"She's good, being pregnant is already frustrating her beyond words" Ryan laughed, settling into Natalia's couch with her. He couldnt keep his head straight; everything around him emulated Natalia. Her keys and lipstick were splayed across the coffee table, an open Cosmopolitan living underneath a bottle of vitamin water. A black bra was tossed over the side of the couch next to them, and various mismatched pairs of shoes were scattered here and there. The raw intimacy of seeing where she spent all her time was amazing to Ryan.

Noticing Ryans eyes wandering around her roomy house, she smiled. "Sorry its so messy, its just me now so I've kind of stopped making it look Life & Style ready" she apologized.

"No no believe me you should see Erics room...it looks like a frat house...it really aggravates my OCD" Ryan laughed. "I begged Calleigh to intervene on my behalf"

"Of course, Eric must've listened to her"

"Oh yeah hes all cleaned up now" Ryan laughed, still trying to steady his breathing. A strap to her excuse for a nightgown was slowly but surely making its way down her shoulder, showing tantalizing inches of perfectly smooth, perfectly tan skin. Unfortunately for Ryan, she caught the strap and restored it to its rightful position, blushing a little when she realized just how much skin had been revealed.

"You know what? I dont think the TV in here is working. The DVD player in my room is way better" Natalia motioned for Ryan to follow her to her room, an invitation that made a sweat break at Ryan's brow. Reluctantly, he followed her to the bedroom, afraid for his sanity.

Natalias DVD player whirred to life as the movie began to flick across the screen. They were sitting in her bed, Ryan almost fully clothed and Natalia hardly clothed, an odd and exquisite pair. The movie went to a night scene, the amount of light in the room immediately dimming. Ryan was sitting so close to her that he could smell her shampoo and hear her breathing. Natalia turned to him to say something and before he knew what he was doing, he was kissing her.

She took no time to respond. Immediately and eagerly she met his lips and his movements, her hands intertwining with his. The kissing got more aggressive as Natalias hands found their way to the buttons on Ryan's shirt. Ryan let her unbutton the buttons one by one as he teased a strap off her shoulder, his mouth moving from hers down her neck to her shoulder. He was brought to a complete halt when he felt Natalia's hands go to his belt buckle, ready to unloop the belt. He grabbed her hands and stilled them, looking her directly in the eyes.

"I cant do this" Ryan said.

"Isnt that supposed to be my line?" Natalia asked, a little annoyed at being cut short.

"I'm sorry, Talia"

"Ryan, come on...this is uncomplicated sex and god knows we both need it"

"No its not uncomplicated. Not with you" Ryan buttoned his shirt and then gently moved Natalias strap back to its original position. His hands found her hair and he curled her ringlets around his fingers as he spoke. "Talia, I cant just sleep with you for the hell of sleeping with someone. I dont do that. Especially not with a girl like you"

"Why? Because I'm old? Because I'm tainted by a divorce? Tell me, Ryan, what is wrong with me?" Hurt adultered her voice.

"Whats wrong is that its you! You think I can be that close with you and walk away from it completely untouched? Not a chance, Natalia, not a chance"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I love you. I'm saying that I cannot be with you like that without knowing you emotionally. I just cant" He grabbed his jacket. "Thanks for the nice time. I'll see you tomorrow at work"

Natalia laughed at the ridiculousness of his farewell and sank back into the pillows. Ryan loved her? Well, this was a new development.


	5. Chapter 5

"So he just sprung it on you like that? Thats SO Ryan" Valera spooned sugar into her tea.

"I know. It was so awkward but like I was really just horny" Natalia confessed. "I dont think I feel that way about Ryan"

"Are you sure? He's a really good guy, Talia. He would never hurt you" Valera said. "Give it a chance"

"I know, I know thats what EVERYONES been telling me" Natalia rolled her eyes. "He's just not like Eric, you know? I mean Erics a GOOD guy, he looks and acts genuine. Ryan's different, though. Ryans got a temper and so do I. I feel like we'd short fuse each other"

"It'd make for a LOT of hot sex, though" Valera pointed her spoon at Natalia as Calleigh walked in with a surprised look on her face.

"I think I jumped in at the wrong time" Calleigh laughed. "What are we talking about?"

"Natalias hot sex with Ryan" Valera chimed in, a nonchalant expression across her face.

"Oh goodness" Calleigh laughed. "Talia...is this true?"

"Not quite...we tried, but instead he decided to tell me he loved me" Natalia said. "Not exactly what I wanted to hear"

"They ALWAYS do that" Calleigh said. "But Ryans a good guy, you should give him a chance"

"Why is Ryan such a good guy? What'd he do, save starving Somalian children?!" Natalia cried.

"Not quite..." Calleigh smiled. "But he is more decent than the average Joe"

"Oh be quiet, Cal...you've got Eric Delko...macho Cuban Russian Eric with a heart of gold" Natalia rolled her eyes at Calleigh, who smirked playfully in response.

Natalia saw Eric creep into the lounge behind Calleigh. He motioned for her to stay quiet as he tiptoed towards Calleigh, a single rose in his hand.

"Surprise" he whispered in her ear. Calleigh jumped and turned around, a smile spreading across her face and turning into an 'aww' as she saw the rose.

"This is for you" Eric said, hugging her tightly. Natalia and Valera rolled their eyes and tried to ignore the blatant reminder in front of them that they were single and loveless.

"Valera, lets leave this after school special to their own devices" Natalia laughed, following her coworker out the door.

"So, whats the rose for?" Calleigh asked, torn between admiring the rose or Erics incredibly sexy clean-shaven face.

"My apology for being such an asshole yesterday" Eric said. "And just because I felt like it" he kissed her softly. "And because I love you"

"I love you too" Calleigh murmured against his lips. "Hows your unpacking going?"

"Its going good...Ryans OCD helped me clean up pretty quickly" Eric laughed as they walked out of the lounge towards the lab. "Listen, babe, I gotta go to a crime scene. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah...good luck" Calleigh smiled at Eric, a true beaming smile the likes of which he hadnt seen since before he left for Alabama.

"I'm glad you're smiling again" Eric said. "I'm glad I dont make you unhappy anymore"

"Eric...you never made me unhappy" Calleigh said, kissing his cheek. "Have a good day"

"You too, beautiful" he winked at her before getting on the elevator. Calleigh felt like she had died and gone to heaven. Eric was back from Alabama and all _hers_. And she was having a baby- not something that would've ordinarily made her happy, but who was she to complain?

"Calleigh!" Natalias singsong voice called her attention from down the hall. "Can you come help me? I'm a little bit confused about whats going on with the evidence I'm getting."

As Calleigh made her way across the tile to Natalia, she caught sight of Ryan. He looked like he was in mid-decision about whether to walk out of the room he was currently in, or whether to stay put where he was. Calleigh decided to make the decision for him.

"Ry!" she yelled. Natalia and Ryan turned the exact same shade of embarrassed red and evaded each other as they all approached the same spot in the middle of the hallway. Calleigh couldn't help but smile at the awkwardness that was apparent in their demeanor.

"Hey Calleigh...how's it going?" his eyes evaded Natalia completely, who was unabashedly staring down Ryan.

"Good...hey Talia I'll run downstairs and check on your stuff, why dont you hang tight here?" Calleigh told her, ignoring the searing looks she was receiving from both of them. As Calleigh's heels clacked down the hallway, Ryan and Natalia stood there awkwardly, neither knowing what to say.

"Are we ever going to talk about this?" Natalia finally broke the silence.

"About the evidence you ran?"

"No...Ryan, about what happened the other night"

"What's there to talk about?" Ryans cheeks were rapidly turning cherry red as he recalled his words.

"Whats there to talk about? Ryan, you told me you loved me" Natalia laughed disbelievingly. "Before you had sex with me- thats a little odd, dont you think?"

"I'm sorry, okay? I shouldnt have said that" Ryan rubbed his eyes from exhaustion.

"No! Dont be sorry for what you feel, I just want to know why you said that and left and never bothered calling and explaining" Natalia said. "I was just confused, thats all"

"Well I meant what I said, Talia" Ryan's hands were now on her shoulders and she couldn't help but notice the electric currents that were shooting up and down her body. "I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it"

"Okay" Natalia whispered, looking at him. His hazel green eyes were sincere and it made her melt in her shoes- nobody had ever pursued her with the intention of having a _relationship_ with her. They all normally just wanted a piece of ass. But this time, it was different. Their romantic moment was broken when Calleighs heels were discernable again on the tile floor.

"Hey, Natalia, I figured it out..." her voice trailed off as she and Natalia walked back to a room and left Ryan standing there, staring at the retreating form of the woman he was pretty sure he would never get over.

-------

At 3:00 pm, Calleigh sat at home incredibly bored. Thanks to Horatio's overly paternalistic attitude, he had insisted she work half-day shifts until the baby was born. As she prepared herself a midafternoon snack, a knock on her door warranted her attention.

"Jake!" she said with surprise. "Come on in!"

"Hey, Cal..." he greeted, giving her a demure hug. He sat down on one of her stools as the incredibly memories came rushing back to him. Calleigh cooking them dinner, her loose curls falling out of her hurriedly thrown up hair. Calleigh straddling him on the very same stool he was sitting on. Calleigh- he cleared his throat to break himself out of fantasy land and focused on the woman infront of him. "How are you?"

"Great...what did I do to earn this incredible surprise?" Calleigh asked, a smile dancing across her lips.

"Just wanted to...talk" Jake said. "About you and Eric. And the fact that you're pregnant"

"Jake...I was going to tell you anyday now. I just needed to sort things out with Eric"

"No I totally understand...I dont even think I deserve an explanation" Jake smiled at her. "You must be excited, huh?"

"Beyond explanation" Calleigh said. "It's still a little new but I'm getting used to it"

"Yeah" a solemn look appeared across his face. "Listen, I know Eric's back and you're going to be incredibly busy, but I miss us being friends. I would love for us to spend time without it being weird. I've known you for a long time"

"Of course" Calleigh leaned against the counter, her blonde hair cascading down her back and green eyes glowing. Jake couldnt help but notice how beautiful she was, for the hundreth time in his 10 minute visit. "I hope Eric and I's relationship and the baby wont strain any friendships. You're a great guy, Jake"

"Calleigh! I brought you your favorite muffin" Eric called, walking into her kitchen, his face crumbling at the sight of his least favorite colleague. "Detective Berkeley" he greeted coolly, deliberating giving Calleigh a more-than-chaste kiss before taking his place behind the counter, his hand protectively placed on her lower back.

"CSI Delko, nice to see you" Jake matched his tone and got up. "It was nice talking to you, Cal. I'll see you around" Calleigh gave him a quick hug and walked him to the door, fully aware of a fuming Eric in the kitchen.

When she returned, she couldnt help but smile at the smoldering look in Eric's eyes.

"So...Miss Duquesne" Eric said. "Arent we the social butterfly?"

"Aw, Eric, you're so cute when you're jealous" Calleigh wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "He just came over to say hi"

"Okayyy" Eric agreed, kissing her back. "I brought your favorite muffin, its sitting on the counter"

"Blueberry? Yummy!" Calleigh broke off a peice for him and fed it to him, giggling when the crumbs fell all over his pressed shirt.

"That was my best shirt, CSI Duquesne" Eric pushed her up against the island. "And now its all dirty. I think I might have to punish you for that" he teased, his lips pressing against hers.

"Can you punish me in the bedroom?" Calleigh asked, fending off his kissing momentarily. "This island is sort of uncomfortable"

"Sure..." Eric wrapped his arms around her and followed her to her bedroom, shutting the door with his foot.


	6. Chapter 6

"Oops I did it again!" Natalia danced around her living room, singing and laughing to the blasting Britney Spears that was booming out of her speakers. A knock on the door interrupted her tween underwear-dancing moment.

"Ryan! Hey!" Natalia said, ushering him despite her disheveled state and peach negligee.

Ryan laughed at the blasting 90s pop and vitamin water bottles laying everywhere. "Talia, I know you're single and all, but do you ever clean?"

"Nah" Natalia threw a purple bra off the couch and motioned for him to sit down. "I prefer to keep it homely and unorganized"

"Okay…" Ryan laughed. "I brought American Pie 1 and 2. Thought we could watch it together and order in some Chinese?"

"Sounds just like the Friday night I need" Natalia laughed, throwing another bra off her side of the couch.

Over the last three months, Natalia and Ryan had become excellent friends. Between Calleigh's incredible pregnantness and Eric's inability to shut up about the baby, they had bonded.

Despite their friendship, Ryan couldn't fight the attraction he had for her. The more he got to know her, the harder he fell in love with her. She was beautiful, intelligent, funny, loving, and everything Ryan was not. He had long since decided she made him better, because over the last few months he had found himself smiling more, feeling more, and becoming a better person.

"Ry! You wanna answer my question?" she teased.

"Sorry, I was zoned out. What's up?"

"Do you want a drink?"

"Sure…whatcha got?"

"Mmm beer, margarita mix, coke?"

"Coke is good" Ryan laughed. That was another thing- he no longer needed alcohol to feel buzzed. Being around Natalia was more than enough inebriation. As Natalia flopped down on the couch next to him and turned off the lights, he couldn't help but realize that he had nearly begun to live at her house Friday nights. He no longer went out with the men because watching a movie with Natalia trumped that by a long shot.

Natalia tossed her legs over the side of the couch and leaned her head against Ryan's shoulder before she caught herself and straightened up.

"Talia…" Ryan whispered, grabbing her hand and pulling her up from her laying down position. Their eyes were locked as he pulled her impossibly closer and brushed his lips against her. Natalia's head spun so furiously that she didn't even bother resisting, acquiescing to the gentle movements of Ryan's soft lips.

Ryan pulled away from her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. But Natalia, how much longer are we going to dance around each other?"

"Not much longer" Natalia whispered, pressing her lips against his again. "I'm ready, Ryan"

"Thank god" he murmured. "That's exactly what I needed to hear"

Calleigh sighed at her reflection in the mirror, frustrated by how her arms seemed to sag in all the wrong places. Never one to overanalyze how she looked, pregnancy had made her incredibly paranoid about everything.

"What's up, beautiful?" Eric asked her, sauntering into their shared living space. Eric had moved out of him and Ryan's house and moved in with Calleigh, whose house was rather roomier and more appealing than the frat house style accommodations of his and Ryan's living space.

"I'm not beautiful" Calleigh frowned at Eric's sunny face. "I'm 7 months pregnant and incredibly fat"

"Calleigh Duquesne" Eric said. "You are not fat. You are beautiful and glowing and I love you" he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Don't ever for a second think that being pregnant means you're ugly. You are sexier than ever"

"When I'm 50 pounds more than I weighed before?" Calleigh challenged, catching Eric off guard. "I'm sorry, Eric. I'm just nervous and hormonal. And for a person who's addicted to control, being out of control is really alarming"

"I understand" Eric kissed her. "I love you anyway. And you'll always be beautiful to me. Are you ready to go?"

"I am" Calleigh smiled, slipping her hand into Eric's. He always managed to make everything okay.

Eric drove towards their favorite Mexican restaurant and conversation was limited. After a few long moments, Calleigh spoke.

"You are my strong and silent man" Calleigh whispered, caressing his arm softly, "I know I don't say this much, Eric, but I love you so much. I don't know where I would be without you"

Eric didn't respond, but the smile that had graced his face was words enough for both of them. He pulled into the parking lot and helped her out of the car, his arm finding the small of her back as always. He held the door open, pulled out her chair, and ordered her drink for her. All the gentlemanly things Calleigh had always taken advantage of but was hyperaware of now. Guilt burned in her stomach as she realized how much advantage people took of Eric and how on occasion she had numbered among them.

Conversation flowed easily as always, jumping between the baby and the preparations and an ongoing case Natalia and Eric were working on.

"Have we decided on a name?" Eric asked as he sipped his coke, forgoing the wine in respect for Calleigh's inability to have alcohol.

"Actually, yes" Calleigh said. "And I need to talk to you about my choice and see how you feel about it. I really want you to be okay with it. I know we decided I'd choose the first name and you'd choose the middle name, but I really want your opinion on this"

"Okay…you sound a tad nervous about it. Please don't tell me you want to name our daughter Apple or Coco". Calleigh's laugh in response tinkled all the way down to his toes.

"No, Eric" she smiled. "I was thinking about how my dad told me he named me after his favorite aunt, and how much it meant to him to have a constant reminder of someone so important in his life. I was thinking we should name her Marisol". Calleigh bit her lip, waiting for Eric's response.

"Your bill, sir" the waiter brought him the receipt and Eric silently signed it. He ushered Calleigh out the door and into the car silently, too, as Calleigh nervously awaited his response.

"Are you going to say something?" Calleigh asked, her voice wavering. A few long moments passed before he turned to her.

"You are my constant" he mimicked her earlier words softly. "You're always there. You always know what's going with me. You know exactly how to make me happy. You're never say or do anything wrong. Calleigh, I'm honored that you want to name our child after my sister. It says a lot about you" he smiled at her. "I love you"

"Oh thank God. I thought I'd made you angry" Calleigh sighed with relief. "And of course I want to name her Marisol. Marisol was an important part of your life and Horatio's life, which makes her an important part of my life. She was incredibly warm and loving, you remind me of her everyday. She was a great friend, Eric, and I'm sure she was an even better sister."

"She was fantastic" Eric said. "It'd be amazing to have a reminder of her around me everyday. Nothing would make me happier"

"It wouldn't reopen old wounds?" Calleigh asked.

"It will. And it'll be hard" Eric said. "But nothing in life that matters comes easy. We've learned that plenty of times"

"Yes, we have" Calleigh smiled. "I'm glad you're happy with my name choice. What'd you pick for the middle name?"

"I haven't decided yet. I thought I'd wait and see how it would sound with the first name"

"Hmm…I figure if we're going Spanish with the first name we should change it up for the middle name" Calleigh said. "So, daddy Delko, are you excited to meet our little girl?"

"More than you can imagine, mommy Duquesne. Macho Cuban-Russian Eric can't wait to buy tutus for his little girl" Eric laughed.

"My daughter is not wearing tutus. Maybe gun holsters?" Calleigh laughed at the shocked look on Eric's face.

"Let's not put any more pressure on the baby than we already have. We've already determined that she's going to cure cancer and look roughly like Adriana Lima" Eric laughed.

"And we have to pick our godparents too" Calleigh sighed, leaning her head against the window. "I don't even know where to begin with that"

"Okay, this is going to sound a little insane, but I was thinking maybe Natalia and Horatio?" Eric pitched.

"That's actually not a bad idea. I'm all for Horatio, I'm not so sure about Natalia" Calleigh said. "Is it the best idea to involve someone with Marisol when you've had a past, uh, relationship with her?"

"I guess it's the same thing as naming Jake as godfather" Eric pondered.

"Yeah, pretty much" Calleigh laughed at the second horrified look Eric had in the last two minutes. "Don't worry Jake can just be mommy's incredibly hot ex boyfriend"

"Oh really? I guess Natalia will have to be daddy's incredibly hot ex girlfriend"

"So you think Natalia's hotter than I am?" Calleigh teased.

"Same way you think Jake is hotter than me" Eric retorted, a smile dancing on his face.

"Touché" Calleigh conceded, and the conversation lulled into a silence. Eric pulled up to the house and parked in the garage. He followed Calleigh in through the laundry room but grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him before she made it to the living room. She turned, surprised, towards him.

"You know I think you're the most beautiful woman alive, right? Natalia doesn't hold a candle to you"

"Of course" Calleigh laughed, kissing him softly. "You know you're the most handsome man alive, right? Jake doesn't hold a candle to you, either"

"Good" Eric smiled, his lips descending on hers again.

"THAT was amazing" Ryan said, lying next to Natalia, his chest rising and falling from his rapid breathing.

"Why didn't we do that before?" Natalia laughed, rolling over to kiss him again.

"Mmm…you are very, very attractive Miss Boa Vista. I couldn't help myself, it had to happen eventually" Ryan kissed her cheek demurely. "Are you hungry?"

"Starved. This is more cardio than I could ever hope to get on my elliptical" she laughed, kissing him not so demurely on the mouth. "Cook you something?"

"I would love to witness your culinary skills" Ryan helped her out of bed and pulled her back when she walked away. He pressed another kiss to her forehead. "I'm not saying this because we just had the most mind blowing sex ever. I love you, Natalia. I have for a long time, and I'm glad I can tell you that now"

She beamed at him and continued walking to the kitchen. Halfway there she turned around and considered her words before she spoke.

"I love you too, Ryan"

**Hey guys! I know I havent communicated at all with you since I've started writing this story. CSI Miami is my second love after One Tree Hill, and since things between Calleigh and Eric are heating up on the show, I thought I'd explore their relationship through fanfiction. I hope you're enjoying the story! Reviews would be fantasic :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Calleigh watched waves crash systematically onto the shore. She was resting comfortably against a mound of sand, not caring that her immaculate blonde hair was being peppered by granules of sand.

Nearly nine months pregnant, Calleigh's previous panic level had subsided into serenity. A lot of the questions that she had started off with had been answered- her and Eric's relationship, her and her parents' relationship, and most importantly, her and her future daughter's relationship.

Her mind wandered to the last time she was at this section of the beach, a portion that you would only know about if you were a longtime Miami resident. In fact, Eric had introduced her to this beach when she had found him here after Speedle's funeral, dried tear tracks on his face. He had been squeezing a handful of sand like it was the cause of all the problems in the world, and she remembered just collapsing next to him, drawing him in for a hug, and crying for hours.

The incident hadn't been forgotten- more ignored, in lieu of professionalism and to avoid rampant embarrassment for the both of them. They hadn't been able to deny the intimacy of the event, though- and it had plagued them for years until they had both taken the lunge and entered into the most rewarding and stimulating relationship they could've ever imagined.

Watching Eric Delko, a macho police officer, reduced to tears, had been the turning point for Calleigh. It was then that she had realized how vividly Eric Delko felt emotions- so much so that the people around him were infected with joy when he was happy and debilitated with sadness when he was upset.

She was distracted by the vibrations of her phone against her thigh and she shifted slightly to retrieve it.

"Hello?"

"She's alive!" Eric teased.

"Very funny, Delko. What're you up to?"

"I wanted to see when you were going to be home- I was going to take you out tonight"

"Oh really? What's the occasion?" Calleigh teased, knowing well enough that Eric didn't need an occasion to treat her.

"What a shame, Calleigh Duquesne. I wasn't aware I needed an occasion to celebrate my love for you"

"You solved that Fatherton case didn't you? That's why you sound like a giddy teenage girl" Calleigh laughed.

"You know me too well…seriously though? 20 minutes?"

"If I make it home in 15, do I get a treat?"

"Mhmm- a really yummy treat"

"I might have to break some laws to rush home to you, then" Calleigh laughed, getting off the sand and walking to her car. "I'll see you in twenty"

_Meanwhile…_

"Natalia! Are we leaving soon?" Ryan called, wrapping his tie around the neck of his shirt.

"I'm ready" Natalia walked into the living room.

"Wow, you look beautiful" Ryan said, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling into her neck.

"Ryan…not now" Natalia laughed, pushing him away gently and pressing a quick kiss to his lips. She grabbed the tie and looped it through, kissing him again after she pulled the knot tight.

Ryan, like the good sport he was, had agreed to attend Natalia's great aunt Carmen's 80th birthday party. It was a black tie affair and Natalia looked ravishing in a slinky emerald dress that showed off every positive aspect of her physical appearance. Ryan groaned inwardly at the thought of keeping his hands off of her all night when she looked so absolutely inviting.

"I might have to act inappropriately if you keep looking so sexy" Ryan teased as he led her out the front door.

"Aunt Carmen is alive and kicking, Ry. She'd probably take your ass down if you tried anything" Natalia laughed.

"Alright, I guess I'll just have to wait till we get home" Ryan pulled her close and kissed her cheek demurely.

"Thanks for coming with me tonight, babe…you're fantastic" Natalia wrapped her arms around him and breathed in his cologne slowly, enjoying the moment they were sharing.

"As much as I would love to stand here and hold you, we're going to be late" Ryan said after 3 silent minutes.

"Darn it. Don't worry, you'll get a treat tonight for being so fantastic" Natalia tugged on his arm and led him to the car.

_Back at Calleigh and Eric's_…

"Calleigh, you look fantastic" Eric insisted. "But I'm starving"

"Thanks babe…but I want to look nice tonight" Calleigh said. "It's the last time we'll probably go out before the baby comes"

"Okay" Eric agreed, walking out to the kitchen. He rummaged around the drawers, hunting for his keys. With a groan of frustration, he shut the drawer and moved onto the key rack, chiding himself for not looking there first when he found his keys.

"Eric!" Calleigh's voiced called, a nervous tone tinting her normally sunny southern voice.

Eric power walked to the bathroom and choked back near hysteria when he saw her standing there, looking like she had just jumped in the shower with her clothes on.

"I think my water broke"

"Yeah, that's suffice to say" Eric said, walking over and rubbing her back soothingly. "Are you in any pain?"

"Yeah, I can feel the contractions coming on" Calleigh said, her voice tight.

"Okay, sweetheart. You wait here while I get your bag into the car, and then I'll come and get you, okay?" He silently thanked his police background for training him to stay calm during crisis situations because right now, his mind was whirling a 1000 miles per hour.

He rushed to retrieve her bag, her favorite blanket, and a bag of baby clothes. He threw them in the car and ran back to the bathroom, escorting Calleigh slowly and gently to the car.

"Do you want me to put my police siren on?" Eric asked as he started the car.

"Eric…that's breaking protocol" Calleigh said, her voice coming out broken between gasps of pain.

"Cal, you look like you're in a lot of pain. If it gets really bad, yell and I'll turn them on, okay?"

"Okay…"

Eric sped out of the neighborhood and down the roads of Miami to Miami General Hospital, wincing every time he heard Calleigh let out a breath of pain.

"Are you hanging in there, Cal?" he asked, his arm gently caressing her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine Eric, dont worry" she reassured him.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the red illuminated sign that read EMERGENCY ROOM. Eric helped her out of the car and walked her into the hospital, ushering a nurse over who helped Calleigh into a wheelchair and led them to her room.

"Ms. Duquesne, I'm Dr. Baines. Your regular OB/GYN had an unfortunate accident with a cabinet door and needed some rest, so I'm filling in for her" a middle aged woman walked in, smiling reassuringly at Calleigh and Eric. "I reviewed your vital stats and you and the baby are doing well, it looks like its going to be a smooth delivery. Not too long, either. Why don't you get comfortable and I'll get the epidural sent in…you should be ready to hold your baby in your arms in a couple of hours"

Eric thanked the doctor and pulled up a chair next to Calleigh, who looked like she was going to burst into tears.

"Hey you okay? Are you in pain?" kicking himself immediately for his stupid question. _Of course she's in pain, dumbass. She's getting ready to have a baby._

She shook her head no, a tear slipping down her cheek.

"Calleigh…please tell me if something's wrong so I can fix it" Eric pleaded worriedly, taking her hand into his.

"I'm scared, Eric" she whispered quietly, her voice barely audible. "I'm not ready to be a mother"

"Baby…don't be worried about that. You're going to be a fantastic mother, you have it in you" Eric reassured. "Its part of the southern belle package, remember?"

"Right" Calleigh smiled weakly at him. "You'll help, right?"

"Calleigh Duquesne, dont be silly. You'll get the most rest you've gotten over the last 9 months after our baby girl comes. I will do everything, I promise"

"You can't breastfeed her" Calleigh joked.

"I can do anything, Calleigh. I have magical powers, remember?" Eric teased, trying to help her keep her mind off the contractions that were very obviously racking her body.

"Okay. You can convince Marisol of that" Calleigh said. "Hey, did you ever decide on a middle name?"

"Yeah…how do you feel about Amber?"

"Marisol Amber Delko" Calleigh tested the words on her lips. "Sounds fantastic"

"Calleigh…are you ready to push? You're 10 centimeters" the nurse asked, coming over from the edge of the room.

_Meanwhile…_

"What a nice young man" Aunt Carmen drawled to Natalia, who was sitting by her great aunt, patting her arm gently. "A true gentleman. Your mother raised you well, son"

"Thank you, ma'am" Ryan replied, slightly amused at how quickly Aunt Carmen had taken to him.

"Anya! Are you planning on ever finding a nice boy?" Aunt Carmen demanded of her great-niece.

"I haven't really found anyone yet, Aunt Carmen. I'm working on it"

"But Natalia has, whats the issue with you?" Aunt Carmen speculated. "Ryan, do you have any brothers?"

"No ma'am, just sisters" Ryan answered.

"That's a shame" Aunt Carmen sighed, casting a slightly disapproving look at Natalia when her phone emitted a shrill sound from the depths of her purse.

"Hello? Horatio? Is everything alright?"

Ryan's brows furrowed as he watched the expressions on Natalia's face change.

"Sorry to eat and leave, Aunt Carmen. I'll come see you tomorrow. Come on, Ry!" she yelled, running out the door.

"Talia…where are we going?!"

"Calleigh's in labor! H called and he's on his way to the hospital with Alexx"

"Oh my god, Eric must be freaking out" Ryan mused, following her hurried footsteps out the door of Aunt Carmen's lavish accommodations and into his car.

_Back at Miami General…_

"Come on, Calleigh! One last push!" the doctor encouraged, and after a triumphant noise, held up the new baby like a scene from the Lion King.

"It's a girl!" she announced happily, handing the baby off to the nurse.

Waves of relief coursed through Eric's body as he saw his daughter, now shrieking and crying, being cleaned and weighed by the nurse.

"Is she okay?" Calleigh asked.

"Yes…and you did wonderfully" Eric said, kissing her forehead.

"Here you go, Mr. Delko" the nurse said, handing him the baby.

"Hey baby girl" Eric whispered, touching her cheek softly. "Marisol Amber Delko". He led the baby over to Calleigh, who nearly burst into tears again at the sight of her new daughter.

"She's beautiful"

"She is" Eric said. "Just like her mother"

Twenty minutes later, Natalia burst into the room with Ryan following suit and Horatio and Alexx on their heels. "Oh my god, did we make it in time?!"

"Yeah, here she is" Eric laughed, warmth spreading through his entire body when he realized how many people were showing up one by one.

"Oh my god, she's BEAUTIFUL, Eric and Calleigh" Natalia said, playing with the now-sleeping baby's fingers. "What's her name?"

"Marisol Amber Delko" Calleigh answered, keeping a watchful eye on the baby that was now being passed around.

While the women cooed over the baby, Ryan, Eric, and Horatio congregated in the corner of the room.

"How does it feel to be a father?" Ryan asked, clapping Eric on the back.

"Amazing. Scary, mostly" Eric laughed, rubbing his tired eyes. "We were just going out to dinner and all of a sudden I was holding Marisol. It was surreal"

"She looks exactly like Calleigh" Ryan commented. "She's got those big green eyes. There's no way you're ever going to be able to say no to those. Even _I_ cant say no to Calleigh when she flashes those. It's like the Duquesne curse."

"I know. She's been on earth for about half an hour and she's already got me hooked" Eric laughed.

"Okay, everyone needs to clear out and let the mother and baby rest. Visiting hours are over" the nurse announced, ushering the multitude of people out the door. Eric bid everyone goodbye and thanked them for coming, sighing relief when it was just him, Calleigh, and Marisol again.

"How're you feeling?" Eric asked, sitting on the bed with her and caressing her hair tenderly.

"Great" Calleigh smiled, tracing circles over his arms. "I wanna go home but I know we can't for another couple of days"

"Yeah, for you and Mari's safety" Eric said. "Do you want me to run home and get you anything? Food you'd like?"

"I do want some chocolate" Calleigh laughed. "And can you grab some more clothes for Mari?"

"Sure" Eric kissed her quickly. "I love you"

"Love you too babe"

_Meanwhile…_

"I can't believe Calleigh finally had the baby" Natalia said as her and Ryan walked into her house. "We've all been waiting for so long"

"I know" Ryan said, tossing the keys on the counter and gently grabbing Natalia's arm. "I think you promised me something" he reminded, his hands now gripping her hips.

"I totally forgot" Natalia laughed, leaning over to kiss him. "But you didn't sit out the entire party like promised…we had to depart in the middle, remember?" she teased him; kissing him but not letting him deepen the kiss. She let it continue for a few minutes before breaking away and nuzzling her nose with his.

"Natalia" Ryan groaned, frustrated. He pinned her against the wall, punishing her for being such a tease and not letting him have his way with her.

"What?" she asked innocently, her hands dancing across his abdomen.

"Stop it"

"I'm not doing anything" she laughed.

"That's precisely the problem" Ryan said, his hands working on the zipper on the back of her dress.

"Hold up Casanova…lets move this to the bedroom" Natalia said, pushing him away gently.

"No…I like this wall" he said, his mouth now lavishing attention on her neck.

"Ryan" Natalia pleaded, her mind spinning with his actions and all thoughts of the bedroom forgotten. "I hate you"

"You know they say hate sex is the hottest" he laughed, moving back up and kissing her sweetly. "If you're not in the mood, I can wait"

"What are you talking about? I'm totally in the mood" Natalia laughed, her hands now undoing the buttons on his shirt.

"You have no idea what you do to me" Ryan whispered, dragging her gently to the couch and laying her down.

"You should've said that in front of Aunt Carmen" Natalia laughed, helping him with her dress, which promptly slid off her body and pooled on the floor.

"What, so I could have two black eyes _and_ a broken leg? No way…" Ryan murmured.

_Back at the hospital…_

"Ms. Duquesne, you have a visitor" the nurse said, with a disapproving look. "He flashed his badge at me so I had to let him in"

"Okay" Calleigh said, confused- she assumed it was Tripp or Horatio, but nearly had a conniption when she saw Jake Berkeley himself walk in.

"Congratulations, mama" he smirked, the same smirk that still managed to send shivers down Calleigh's body. He was holding a pink tulip, which he _of course_ knew was her favourite, and brought it over to her.

"Thanks. Jake, it's nearly 1 am. Why are you here? Shouldn't you be sleeping like every other human being?" she laughed.

"As soon as I heard I came. I had to fight with the nurse a little, but eventually my good looks won her over" Jake said.

"Really? Because the story _I_ got was that you flashed your badge at her"

"Okay so I may have violated protocol a little bit, but I had to see this beautiful little girl. Where is she?"

"She's in her bassinet right there" Calleigh pointed to the sleeping baby.

Jake leaned over the bassinet, tenderly touching the baby's hands. "She's beautiful, Cal. She looks just like you."

"Thanks. She's got my green eyes" she smiled, patting the side of her bed. "Come talk to me. You've been so busy in homicide"

"I know. I've missed you, Cal. You're a great friend. Where's Eric?"

"He went back home to get some stuff for me and the baby. Mostly chocolate, for me" Calleigh laughed, sending tingles to every inch of Jake's body.

"Well you look great, Calleigh. Amazing, actually" Jake said, getting up. "You must be exhausted, so I'll come by tomorrow and say hi for a little longer, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks for coming by Jake" Calleigh said, waving him off.

Seconds later, Eric walked into the room, holding a box of chocolates and a bag of clothes for Marisol.

"Did I just see Jake walk down the hallway?" he asked.

"Yeah he came by to say hi" Calleigh said, her voice waning as his expression changed from confused to wounded. "Eric. It's nothing."

"I know that, Calleigh. I'm sorry, he's just not my favorite person" Eric said, coming over to kiss Marisol before giving Calleigh a kiss, too.

"I understand. He's like your Gloria" Calleigh laughed.

"Exactly" Eric laughed. "How's our angel doing?"

"Sleeping like a rock" Calleigh said. "She's beautiful isn't she?"

"She is. I'm so happy right now, Cal, you have no idea" Eric said. "I'm so honored that I could share something this important with you. It means the world to me that you're not- and won't ever be- some random girl"

"I love you" Calleigh whispered.

"I love you too, but I want you to get your sleep, okay?" Eric said. "I'm going to camp out on the couch"

"Eric Delko. Go home, we'll be fine. They're taking Mari back to the nursery anyway. You need a good night's sleep"

"Calleigh I'm not just going to leave you" Eric said. "I'm not that tired anyway"

"Seriously, just go home and sleep because I'm going to need a lot of help after I get home and you need to be well rested. I love you" Calleigh ordered, and Eric resigned with a sigh and kissed her and Marisol, making a pouty face on the way out of the hospital room.

Truth was that Eric wouldn't be able to sleep that night. The idea of having a daughter, a _child_, was so mind boggling and amazing that he wouldn't be able to think about anything but Marisol and Calleigh all night. As he turned into the garage and entered his house, _their_ house, he realized that the giant gaping hole Marisol Delko Caine had made in his life when she had left was slowly but surely being filled by Marisol Amber Delko.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Hope you're enjoying the story so far. Review please! **

After Marisol was born, Eric and Calleigh fell into an undisturbed routine. Marisol stayed with her grandparents, who had moved back to Miami after her birth, till 1:00 every day, and then either Calleigh or Eric, depending on the week, spent the rest of the day at home with her.

It had been a year, and they had truly become a family- with Marisol at the helm of it. Calleigh, a previous opponent of domesticity, didn't imagine that caring for a child could be so rewarding. Every day, Marisol awed her parents- whether it was an isolated word, her scribbles that seemed like Picassos or her striking similarity to her aunt-which was apparent in her constant hugs, giggles, and affectionate gestures.

One evening, Eric and Calleigh lay on the porch swing outside, admiring the stars and enjoying the perfect Miami night while Marisol played in the grass.

Eric spoke out of nowhere, snapping Calleigh back from her daydreams.

"Does it bother you that we're not married?" he asked, his thumbs pressing patterns into her palms as he spoke.

"Not really" she turned to look at him, unsettled by his mood. "Does it bother _you_?"

"No. It bothered me that it might have bothered you, but now that I know it doesn't bother you it doesn't bother me"

"That sounded like something out of Mari's Dr. Seuss books" Calleigh laughed.

"Seriously" Eric pressed. "Don't you wonder what people think when they see us together with a baby and neither of us have wedding rings on?"

"Eric. Some people can't afford wedding rings. There are plenty of reasons why someone wouldn't be wearing a wedding ring" Calleigh frowned at his almost silly concern.

"But we're not one of those people. I could buy you a nice shiny diamond ring if I wanted to" Eric said.

"Eric, what's the matter? Did someone say something to you?" Calleigh sat up now, looking at him intently, her green eyes searching his brown ones.

"No. Let's just forget about it" Eric said, pulling her down on him and kissing her.

"Okay…are you sure?"

"Positive" Eric said. "I don't care if we're married or engaged or divorced, I will always love you"

"You too, babe"

_At Natalia's residence…_

"Bye, Aunt Natalia and Uncle Ryan. Thank you for having us" Natalia's three little nieces chimed in unison, taking turns hugging their aunt and Ryan.

"I think it's cute that they call you Uncle Ryan" Natalia laughed. It had been a year and Ryan had all but become their uncle, anyway.

"They don't really have anything else to call me" Ryan laughed, kissing her. "They could call me 'Aunt Natalia's boyfriend' but I think that might be too long for little Isabella"

"Yeah she'd probably get lost after 'Aunt Natalia'" Natalia laughed, cleaning up the dishes quickly. Ryan had moved in with Natalia, finally selling the affectionately named "frat house" that he and Eric used to share.

"Hey, what are your plans for tomorrow afternoon?" Ryan asked. "Are you working any cold cases?"

"Yup…no field work tomorrow, I get to run DNA all day" Natalia sighed, handing Ryan a glass of sparkling water. "Why?"

"There's this new sushi place downtown that I heard raving reviews about" Ryan answered. "I wanted to take you so it's good that your workload is relatively light tomorrow"

"That sounds fantastic" Natalia agreed, intertwining their hands and settling against his shoulder. Something so perfect had developed over the last year and she couldn't place it. All she knew is that Nick never crossed her mind anymore and that Ryan was never far from her mind. They had, much like Calleigh and Eric, settled into an incredibly comfortable routine.

"I haven't seen Marisol in ages" Ryan said. "What do you say we go pay Calleigh and Eric a visit?"

"Sure, that sounds good" Natalia said. "Call first, though. Remember last time? We walked in on them having sex on the porch"

"That was incredibly awkward" Ryan laughed as he recalled the memory.

"Hello?" Calleigh's voice came over the phone.

"You are definitely not Eric Delko" Ryan teased.

"You caught me" Calleigh laughed. "What are you and Natalia up to?"

"We want to see our goddaughter…we haven't seen her in forever"

"Yeah, sure…come on over, we were just on the porch"

"Really? The porch?" Ryan laughed.

"Oh Ry…must we bring that up?" Ryan could hear the embarrassment in Calleigh's voice.

"But it's just so funny"

"We're going to hide Marisol from you if you don't stop" Calleigh threatened playfully.

"We'll be there in 20" Ryan said, hanging up the phone and laughing at Natalia's disapproving look. "What?"

"You didn't need to bring it up" Natalia chided. "We don't want them to disown us"

"Do you really think Calleigh would disown all of this?" Ryan said, gesturing to himself.

"You are so full of it" Natalia laughed, smacking his arm. "Go get changed"

"How about you join me?" his eyebrows arching suggestively.

"Ryan, you are completely hopeless" Natalia laughed, getting up and following him to the master bedroom.

--/--

Calleigh hummed to the radio as she cleaned up Marisol's toys, tossing them into the toy chest and tidying up the disastrous living room.

"Hey mama…Marisol and I are gonna go to the park, okay?" Eric walked into the room with Marisol sitting on his shoulders, her diaper bag dangling from one arm and her shoes from the other.

"Okay, have fun" Calleigh smiled, getting on her tiptoes to kiss Eric and give Marisol's leg an affectionate squeeze. "Be good for daddy, baby girl"

Ten minutes after their departure, Calleigh heard a knock on the door. Confused, she opened the door to none other than Jake Berkeley himself.

"Jake!" she greeted, caught by surprise, and let him in.

"I wanted to come see the munchkin but it sounds pretty quiet" Jake said.

"You just missed her and Eric. They're at the park"

"Oh" Jake said. "Things are going well between you and Eric?"

"Very well" Calleigh said, plopping down on the couch with him. "How've you been?"

"Good" Jake smiled. "Busy but lonely"

"What happened between you and that one girl? The secretary?"

"It didn't work" Jake said. "She wasn't ready for a real relationship"

"And you were? Jake Berkeley wants a real relationship? I never thought I'd see the day!" Calleigh teased.

Jake chuckled and there was a moment of silence before he spoke again. "I really miss you, Calleigh" he said, and the sincerity in his voice made her words falter.

"I miss you too, Jake" Calleigh said. "You should stop by the lab and say hi sometime"

"Not like that, Cal" he said, leaning in closer.

Taken aback, Calleigh scooted backward. "Jake" she warned.

"No, Calleigh, listen to me" Jake said, grabbing her hands tightly. "I've missed you every minute since we broke up. It's killing me inside to see you so happy with Eric"

"So it's killing you to see me happy?" Calleigh asked, her voice rising.

"No, its killing me to see you happy with ERIC. I want you to be happy with me" Jake clarified.

"You lost that chance ages ago. Remember, when you weren't willing to actually work on our relationship? And I'm a 100 percent happy with Eric" Calleigh. "I don't need this"

"Yes, you do. Otherwise you wouldn't be arguing with me, trying to convince yourself you don't need this"

"Jake. You're REALLY crossing the line here" Calleigh whispered. "I don't want you to do this"

"What about this?" he asked, leaning in and capturing her lips. At first Calleigh tried to resist, but his body demanded a positive or negative and she couldn't help but give him the affirmative. It felt too good, sending sparks to every part of her body along with nauseating waves of guilt.

Finally, she pushed away, and looked down, ashamed of what she had done.

"Tell me that didn't feel amazing" Jake said.

"It didn't. Get out."

"Calleigh! Don't shut down on me now" Jake pleaded. "I need this. I need _you_"

"I don't need you"

"Really? Is that why you just kissed me with the most passion I think I've ever seen you show? You're lying to yourself by saying you don't need this" Jakes voice rose, taking on a pleading edge.

"Jake, please just leave" Calleigh whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "Just leave"

"Fine, I'll leave. But I've finally gotten to you, Calleigh Duquesne. Don't think you can escape this"

Jake stalked out the door and slammed it behind him, leaving Calleigh in a heap of tears on her couch, confused, broken, and sure that she had just ruined her near perfect life with Eric.


	9. Chapter 9

Calleigh lay in bed with Eric, guilt permeating every inch of her skin. She was lying on his bare chest, his hands tangling in her hair as he drifted slowly off to sleep. The memory of Jake's kiss, the way she had responded to it shamelessly, kept dredging up in her restless mind.

She had gathered herself before Eric and Marisol came home and pretended she just poked herself in the eye when he had asked why her eyes looked red. Something about her demeanor had been off, and she knew he had noticed but declined to question her.

Now, a few hours later, she felt a fresh batch of tears forming. At the sight of Eric lying next to her, open and raw and everything she wasn't, they burst through. She desperately tried to stop them, but Eric woke up when he felt her tears on his chest. His first inclination was to draw her in close and stroke her hair softly.

"Calleigh, is everything okay? Do we need to go to the hospital?" he asked quietly, trying not to panic.

"No" Calleigh whispered, tears still stinging her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Eric"

"Sorry about what, baby girl?" but the tenderness in his voice just made her cry harder, albeit silently. "Help me out and nod yes or no to the questions I'm about to ask you, okay?"

"Are you in pain?" She shook her head no. "Did someone hurt you?" Another no. "Is Marisol okay?" A yes. "Calleigh, to be honest with you, you're scaring the shit out of me"

She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Jake came over today. He basically tried to get me to try our relationship one more time. He wasn't forceful or rude, Eric. I could tell he really meant it; he really wanted to fix it this time. I obviously said no because I love you and Mari so much, I would never destroy that. Jake is a fling from the past and he hasn't come to terms with that yet. But he kissed me, Eric, and I responded. Not for long, because I almost immediately realized what I was doing. But I responded, Eric, and I feel like dying right now"

"Cal…."

"I understand if you don't wanna be with me anymore. We can figure something out, and I would never dream of keeping you away from Marisol"

"Calleigh, hold up. I'm not breaking up with you"

"What?"

"Listen. All I want is for you to be happy. If that's with Jake, then I'll find a way to come to terms with that. If it's with me, then I couldn't be happier. You've denied yourself what you want in lieu of others so long, Calleigh; it'd be unfair to ask you to do something you didn't want to do. If you want to be with Jake, go be with him. I'll still love you, and I'll always be here. But I don't want to live with myself thinking I stopped you from what you really want"

"I don't deserve you" Calleigh whispered, reaching out and touching him softly. "I really, really don't"

"Don't say that" Eric pulled her in close and kissed her. "Do what you want, as long as it's really what you want"

"I don't want to be with Jake, Eric. I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd done to us afterwards; Jake was the last thing on my mind. He's immature, he's unreliable, he's not the kind of person I want to build a life with. I just want you, that's all. You and me and Marisol forever; I don't want Jake or anyone else."

"Okay. I believe you, Cal" Eric said, hugging her tightly. "You don't need to validate anything to me"

"I'm so sorry, Eric" she whispered again.

"It's okay. I'll love you no matter what. Lets go back to sleep, okay?" she nodded and within 20 minutes, he could hear her soft breathing again. It was then that he allowed the hurt, and fear to seep into him.

--/--

"Ryan Wolfe…aren't you a handsome young man?" Natalia's mother cooed, hugging him and kissing him twice on both cheeks. "He is dashing, _mi corazon_" she told Natalia, who was turning five shades of pink at her mother's words.

"Ma, come help me in the kitchen, I'm having trouble with the chicken"

"Trouble? With CHICKEN? You know, in old country, my _madre_ taught me how to deal with chicken when I was 11 years old. Eleven, Natalia! And here you are, almost 35, and having trouble with chicken. Come, come. I show you"

"Ry…my dad wanted to talk you" Natalia said, sending him a silent apology.

"Son, why don't we go for a little walk around this scenic neighborhood?" Natalia's dad asked, and Ryan gulped silently.

"Yes sir" they set off, an odd pair, down Natalia's road. He questioned him about his job, his family, parents, siblings, and every other imaginable thing. Ryan's heart stopped beating so fast as soon as he learned that Natalia's dad, a retired military sergeant, was not going to kill him and actually seemed to approve of him.

"So you and my daughter, you've been dating how long?"

"Approximately a year and 3 months" Ryan answered.

"That's nice. A long time to get to know each other"

"Definitely, sir. Listen, I'd actually like to ask _you_ a question" Ryan said, his heart beginning to pound faster as the sergeant turned and searched him with his eyes.

"Go ahead, son"

"I've known Natalia for a long time. I really love her. She's made me a better person in innumerable ways. I would do anything for her and the people that mean the most to her".

The sergeant was nodding along, paying rapt attention to Ryan's words. "Go on"

"I know she's very traditional, and that's another thing I love about her. When I told my friends about this, they laughed and said it was archaic. But sir, I'd really love to ask your permission for Natalia's hand in marriage. I wanted to make sure it was okay with the people that she loves and respects the most, and you're definitely one of them" he shifted nervously, waiting for the answer.

"Of course!" the sergeant boomed. "My other son in law never even bothered to ask. I am so happy you realize how important Natalia's tradition is to her. When are you proposing? Did you get the ring?" her father seemed as excited as Ryan felt.

Ryan couldn't keep the goofy smile off his face at the sergeant's enthusiastic reaction. "I have the ring. I don't know when or where I'm going to propose, because I was waiting for your blessing. I'll have to think about that"

"Take her to the beach, son. It's her favorite place in the entire world. And welcome to the family"

"Thank you" Ryan said, another grin tugging at his lips as waves of exhilaration and relief coursed throughout his body. Finally, he could do what he had wanted to do for ages: solidify his and Natalia's incredible bond forever.

--/--

Marisol's shrill crying woke both Calleigh and Eric up at the same time. Rolling over, Calleigh turned on the light.

"Stay in bed" Eric whispered, kissing her forehead. "I'll go get her"

"Eric…I'll get her. I've caused both of you enough trouble for today". At her words, Eric pulled her down on him and caressed her face softly.

"Calleigh, stop it. Stop beating yourself up over it. You didn't even initiate the kiss. It's one kiss. I'll get over it. The way you sobbed today, I know you felt guilty and you didn't mean it. I understand. We're both human, we make mistakes. I know Christine was the biggest mistake I ever made, and you forgave me for that. You really think I'm not going to forgive you for something you didn't even start?"

"I guess it's the guilt that's getting to me. I feel like there's an elephant in the room"

"I haven't been eating _that_ much" Eric joked, and his smile grew when he saw a smile dancing on Calleigh's lips. "I love you so much, Cal. I wouldn't let someone else's mistake ruin what we have"

"Mama!" a voice yelled from the room, clearly tired of crying and just irritated with her parents' slow response.

"I'll get her" Calleigh said, kissing Eric quickly. "You know she's going to end up sleeping with us again tonight, right?"

"Yeah…" Eric laughed.

When Calleigh brought Marisol back in, she was in her mother's arms, contentedly sucking on her thumb. Eric took her from Calleigh and settled her in his lap.

"What was bothering my baby girl?" he asked her gently, tucking her into his embrace and pulling the covers over all three of them. But nothing seemed to be bothering her as her lids closed on her celery green eyes, identical to Calleigh's.

"She knows how to work us" Calleigh laughed, adjusting the pillows so they could lay her in the middle. "She just wanted to sleep between mommy and daddy. This is never going to end" she joked.

"We're gonna have to put an end to this eventually" Eric agreed. "She has to sleep by herself. Even though I really don't want to let her"

"I know. It's hard. At least she's not going away to college yet"

"Oh, don't even get me started on that. She's going to Dade Community College"

"Absolutely" Calleigh laughed, turning off the lights again.

Eric reached over Marisol to take Calleigh's hand, their fingers intertwining. She mumbled something incoherent, but it sounded too much like 'I love you' to be anything else.

**So I didnt think you guys would enjoy it too much if I broke Eric and Calleigh up...so I took the plotline hit and made Eric uber understanding. But twists and turns coming up with both couples. Review, please and thank you! **


	10. Chapter 10

Ryan and Natalia stood leaning against the pier, Ryan's arms around Natalia's waist. The water below was churning, waves crashing onto shore. Distant sounds of thunder could be heard, and the sky looked visibly upset; the clouds were darkening and the birds had vacated the beach.

"Its going to rain" Natalia stated slowly, not wanting to disturb the perfect moment.

"Let it" Ryan whispered, pulling her closer. "I love rain at the beach". Natalia nodded against his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist. The gloom and doom mood outside made her feel vulnerable and Ryan's arms happened to be the perfect protection.

They stood there like that, for an amount of time, before Natalia felt the first raindrop hit her nose. "Ry. It's ACTUALLY raining now" she pointed out.

"Mhmm, and your point?" he murmured into her ear.

"We're both going to end up with pneumonia and DIE" she said dramatically.

"You know standing in the rain has no scientific connection to catching a cold or pneumonia, right?"

"Okay, Mr. Science Boy" Natalia laughed, getting up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "I guess I'll have to believe you"

"I guess you will" he smiled at her and leaned in for a real kiss. It began to rain a little harder. Her hair, which she had straightened just for their date, became damp and curled of its own accord. Ryan considered how perfect this was; her makeup was starting to run and her hair was back to its normal curly.

"So much for me getting all pretty for our date" Natalia laughed.

"Natalia" Ryan whispered. "You're beautiful." The emotion behind his words was so strong that she blushed. Ryan started fumbling around in his pocket and before she knew what was happening, he was on his knees.

"Natalia Boa Vista, will you marry me?"

"Ryan…" she said, her hand covering her mouth, speechless.

"I love you so much. I know I can be difficult sometimes, I know we have our differences and we fight sometimes, but you know we've never lost sight of how important our relationship is"

"Ryan, of course I'll marry you" Natalia whispered, dropping down so she was level with him. "I love you"

Ryan took her hand and kissed it, and then slid it onto her ring finger. He leaned in to kiss her, and the thunder clapped one more time before the sky let loose. Natalia laughed when she realized how ridiculous they looked, kneeling on the peer in the middle of a thunderstorm, half-laughing, half-crying. But the reality was that to her, to _them_, it was a moment that would never be forgotten.

--/--

"Hey Cinderella" Eric said as he walked into the living room. "I found your shoe…in the shower" he laughed.

"Marisol made it to shower before we caught her? Dang, she's getting good" Calleigh laughed. "How much collateral damage?"

"A couple of knocked over shampoo bottles" Eric laughed. "Nothing happened to your expensive goop, don't worry" he assured her when he saw the alarmed look on her face.

"It's not expensive GOOP, Eric, its hair care products" Calleigh sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Don't you want my hair to be soft and shiny?"

"Cal, I couldn't care less what your hair looks like" Eric laughed, kissing her. "I'd think you're beautiful even if you went Rastafarian on me"

"Oh really? Maybe I should try that" Calleigh teased. "Are you going to go scold your daughter or am I going to have to?"

"Oh but she's so precious" Eric protested.

"That is true" Calleigh agreed, looking at Marisol, who was now slowly but surely destroying her teddy bear via baby teeth and a block of Lego's. "Didn't we just get her that teddy bear?"

"Yeah, like, two days ago"

"Oh Marisol Amber…what are we going to do with you?" Calleigh laughed, picking the toddler up and depositing her in her playpen.

The phone rang and broke the silence that had settled between them as they watched their daughter play.

"Hello?" Calleigh answered.

"CALLEIGH it's me!" Natalia said. Her voice was higher than normal.

"Nat? Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Guess what?"

"What?"

"Ryan and I are engaged!" she delivered the news and received a shriek in return.

"Calleigh" Eric pressed. "What's going on?"

Calleigh covered the mouthpiece of the phone. "Natalia and Ryan are engaged!"

"Wow! Tell her I send my congratulations" Eric said, his mind attempting to process the information.

"Natalia that is SUCH fantastic news" Calleigh gushed, her face lighting up. "I love weddings! I'm going to have to come over and help you plan!" The women excitedly discussed wedding plans for an hour or so and Calleigh's face betrayed her sheer excitement.

Eric's mood was morose at best for the rest of the afternoon. He was moody, snappy, and didn't even offer to make Calleigh lunch like he did every single day. Confused, Calleigh let it slide- Eric couldn't be sunny and chipper all day everyday.

"Are we still on for our date?" Calleigh asked around 4 PM, testing the waters.

Eric looked up, surprised to see her standing there. "Of course, why wouldn't we be?"

"I don't know, you've been sort of down all afternoon" Calleigh settled next to him. "Is something the matter?"

Eric sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. "I don't want to upset you, Calleigh. Or bother you with my emotional baggage"

"You won't be" Calleigh assured him, resting her hand on his arm. "Talk to me, come on"

"I don't know. Ryan and Natalia are getting married and you sounded _so_ excited. I feel bad that we're not the ones delivering the happy news. I mean, its Ryan and Natalia. We've been at this for nearly 2 years and they've hardly been dating a year. I just don't want to be the one disappointing you or depriving you of anything."

"Eric, sweetheart" Calleigh whispered, taking his hands in hers. "You're not disappointing or depriving me of _anything_. You're perfect, and you know that I think that. When our time comes, our time will come and we'll rejoice in it. We don't need to rush anything."

"You're right, I'm sorry I was such a jerk all afternoon. I just want you to be happy" Eric said, hugging her.

Calleigh landed a quick kiss on his lips. "I love you"

"Love you too, Cal" Eric smiled, reassured and at ease once again.

--/--

Horatio was ambling down the hallway when he heard the voice of one of his least favorite people: Rick Stetler.

"Horatio, we need to talk"

"What for, Rick?" Horatio questioned him with his eyes.

"Your CSIs. Their behavior in the office has gotten reckless. Two CSIs are engaged? Duquesne and Delko have a baby? Now I was willing to let the Duquesne/Delko thing go, because things happen and I understood they needed to be together. But Boa Vista and Wolfe? That's unnecessary and distracting conduct"

"Rick, my CSIs relationships have never disrupted their work ethic"

"And I agree with that completely- however, if the love interest of one was put in any danger, the chances of the other one following police protocol thoroughly is slim to none"

"Rick, I cannot deprive my CSIs of a relationship _or_ a job. Is there a point you're trying to make, or am I just spinning my wheels?"

"Horatio, either Boa Vista or Wolfe switch to the night shift, or they're looking at some honeymoon time in the unemployment office"

"Rick, why don't you let me deal with Natalia and Ryan's relationship, and you worry about the more pressing things on your plate- like the 30 million dollar lawsuit taken out against the county?"

Rick let out a frustrated huff. "This isn't over, Caine"

"I don't expect it to be. Have a good day, Rick" Horatio stated, walking away.

_Ten minutes later…_

"Is everything okay?" Calleigh inquired as the entire CSI team gathered in the break room. "Horatio called an emergency meeting on Saturday"

"It has to do with all of you all boinking each other after hours" Cooper said tactlessly, spooning some ice cream into his mouth and grinning.

"Oh shut up, Cooper" Eric rolled his eyes, tossing Marisol the ball, which she shrieked and chased after.

"You brought the baby into the office, hmm?" Cooper inquired. "She's a cutie"

"Don't try to kiss up to me because you're scared of me" Eric mock threatened.

"She really is cute though" Cooper insisted. "And I'm not scared of you, Delko"

"You should be, Eric is a beast" Calleigh teased from the corner.

"CSIs" Rick said abruptly as he walked in. "We have a problem. You all cannot be romantically involved while in the office"

"What? That's absurd!" Calleigh exclaimed. "Rick, you do realize Eric and I have been together for 2 years and Ryan and Natalia have been dating for over a year?"

"I was willing to let you and Eric slide, Miss Duquesne, because of your pregnancy. And I never though Boa Vista and Wolfe would hit it off _quite_ so well. It was oversight on my part to let this problem continue"

"It's not a problem, Rick" Natalia defended. "We've all worked together in this lab for ages and we know each other inside and out. Just because Ryan and I weren't together before doesn't mean I cared any less about him or his life, and I _assure_ you, I would've acted the same way if he had been in trouble then as I would do now"

"Exactly" Calleigh agreed. "Just because our relationship status has a different title now doesn't mean we would've acted passively before. This is absurd and a complete waste of all of our time"

"Yeah, Stetler. Fire us if you want. Switch us to night shift. The only loss will be to the county and that ultimately lands on _you_" Eric said. "You're wasting our time and I think I promised my girlfriend I'd take her out to dinner and I've got parents expecting their grandchild any second. Have a good weekend" Eric motioned for Calleigh to follow him and the rest of the CSIs followed suit, throwing Stetler dirty looks along the way.

"So, Mr. Stetler, is it over now?"

"I think it is" Stetler rubbed his cheek in frustration. "You win, Caine. But rest assured, if their performance lags…"

"It wont" Horatio eyed Stetler firmly as he walked away, calling over his shoulder. "I can promise you that"

**Well there you have it! I never said bad twists and turns :) Review, please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey all! This is going to be the last chapter in the story, and then an epilogue will follow…I'm planning on starting another EC story, except this time its going to be more angsty and different circumstances. Thanks for the fantastic reviews, couldn't have done it without you! :o)**

"There's my beautiful girl!" Natalia's dad boomed as Natalia made her way shyly into the reception room after the wedding. "All married and glowing!" he wrapped his arms around his daughter and hugged her tightly while Ryan respectfully watched.

"Darling" Natalia's mother pressed a kiss to Ryan's clean shaven face. "Congratulations"

"Thank you, Mrs. Boa Vista"

"Don't be silly, Ryan! Call me mama now" she instructed, wagging a finger at his face.

"The bride and her father would like to share a dance" the DJ announced, putting on a slow ballad as Natalia and her dad took the floor.

"Natalia looks beautiful" Calleigh commented to Eric as he put an arm around her waist and scooted her closer.

"She does" Eric agreed amiably, combing some of Calleigh's curls back. "You look nice with curly hair"

"Thanks, babe" Calleigh said, leaning against his shoulder. "Where'd Marisol get to?"

"She's slewing half-Spanish half-English orders at all the other kids" Eric laughed, pointing in the direction where a blonde haired, green eyed 3 year old Marisol was bossily instructing the smaller children.

"She's totally my child" Calleigh laughed. "Except for her curly hair…I know mine's artificial, but where on earth did she get curly hair from?"

"I had curly hair when I was a baby" Eric commented. "Maybe it'll fall out and grow back straight"

"I hope not" Calleigh murmured. "She looks cute the way she is"

"She's a cutie, that's true" Eric agreed. "Let's go over and congratulate those two" Calleigh nodded and followed Eric across the wooden dance floor towards Natalia and Ryan.

"So, you two are stuck together for eternity. What a great day" Eric greeted.

"Thanks for the encouragement, best man" Ryan said, his eyes never leaving Natalia's form.

"Oh you know I love you guys…when am I giving my speech?"

"Soon, hopefully. After my dad stops shimmying with every woman in the room" Ryan laughed.

After Eric made his speech, the dance floor opened up and everyone made their way to the floor, champagne flutes in hand.

"Can I get you some champagne?" Eric asked Calleigh as he led her to the dance floor.

"Nah, I'm good" Calleigh said, leaning her head against his chest.

"Sure? It's the good stuff!" Eric prodded, feeling a smile form against his chest.

"Eric, I can't drink" Calleigh murmured as the waltz started.

"Now Miss Duquesne, I know exactly how old you are" Eric teased. "Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes"

"Eric" Calleigh whispered, reaching up to look him right in the eyes. "I can't drink because I'm pregnant"

"What?" Eric stopped, the world around him still spinning. "Really?"

"Confirmed it yesterday"

"Calleigh, that's SUCH fantastic news" Eric said leaning down to kiss her tenderly. "Wow. How far along are you?"

"A couple of months" Calleigh smiled at the sheer excitement on his face.

"I love you" he mumbled into her hair as they finished off their dance. "You have no idea"

"I love you too" Calleigh answered, her heart beating a little faster as it always did when she and Eric exchanged such words.

--/--

"We made quite a killing, Mrs. Wolfe" Ryan said as they picked their way through wedding presents the morning before they were to depart for their honeymoon.

"We sure did, Mr. Wolfe" Natalia laughed, tossing aside monogrammed towels as she attempted to reach the toaster oven that held her cherished morning bagel.

"You look beautiful" Ryan commented, hugging her tightly and planting a kiss on her curly hair. "Mmmm, and you smell good too!"

"Thanks" Natalia smiled, reaching up to kiss his cheek. "You need to shave, buddy"

"I thought you thought the stubble was sexy?" Ryan formed a wounded expression.

"It is pretty sexy" Natalia admitted.

"But then again, everything looks sexy on me, right?" Ryan waggled his eyebrows at her, making her laugh.

"I didn't know I married such a narcissist" Natalia pointed the butter knife at him. "Now let me enjoy my bagel and stop distracting me with your…Ryan-ness"

"Okay, missus" Ryan laughed, downing a glass of orange juice. "I'm going to check the bags one more time for the locks and identity cards"

"Ryan…" Natalia warned. "You've already checked them three times. They haven't run away, you know"

"Okay, okay" Ryan conceded. "Then I'll just come back and distract you"

"On second thought, go check those bags" Natalia teased.

"I am insulted that you don't wish my presence in the morning" Ryan said in a mock hurt tone, coming over to her and pushing her against the granite counter. His lips began assaulting her neck.

"Ryan…honey…we have a plane we need to catch" she reasoned with him while gritting her teeth to keep her moans in.

"Yeah, in 6 hours" Ryan murmured. "It's not an international flight; we don't even have to be there until 2 hours before. That gives me about four hours to do with you what I please" Ryan planted a kiss on her cheek. "It involves a lot of you writhing in passion" he added in a low voice.

"Ryan" Natalia protested, but it was useless. Like she was going to say no to _that_.

--/--

"Mama, I want cookie" Marisol sidled up to her mother and tugged on the hem of her shirt.

"Mari, you already had a cookie today" Calleigh said, pulling her daughter into her lap. "And you know daddy said you can only have one a day"

Marisol leaned in close and whispered, "I won't tell". Calleigh laughed at how similar her daughter was to her. She fluttered her eyes at Calleigh and of course, her mother gave in.

"Okay, Mari, but this is the last cookie you're getting for today, okay?" Calleigh said, opening the jar and handing Marisol a cookie.

"Yes ma'am mommy" Marisol grinned at her mother and bit into the cookie.

"Marisol Amber Delko, is that another cookie you're eating?" Eric admonished playfully. "You're going to turn into a cookie monster, baby girl"

"Cookie!" Marisol shrieked, jumping up and down.

"Okay, okay, no need to get hyper" Eric laughed, picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder after she had finished her cookie in record time.

"Yeah, because taking her for a ride slung over your back is going to put her right to sleep" Calleigh rolled her eyes. "Boys"

Eric rolled his eyes back at her, mocking her tone. "Girls" he said as he settled on the couch.

"I's a girl!" Marisol pointed out happily as Eric cuddled her in his lap.

"Yeah, you're daddy's baby girl" Eric said, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"I'm going to go shower, why don't you take Marisol to the grocery store? I made a list, it's on the fridge"

"Okay" Eric agreed and after a quick goodbye kiss, left for the grocery store with Marisol in tow.

Calleigh dialed a familiar number quietly. "Jake? Yeah, they're gone"

--/--

"At least you've calmed down a little" Natalia laughed, patting Ryan on the cheek as they settled into the waiting area of the airport.

"Now that everything's been checked in, yes" Ryan answered, intertwining their fingers. "I'm excited, we both desperately need this"

"We do" Natalia agreed. "And right now, I desperately need coffee; do you want to go get some?"

Ryan and Natalia made their way over to the Starbucks to grab some coffee and promptly returned back to their seats in the waiting lounge.

"My parents love you" Natalia commented. "My mom and I had a long talk the other night and she thinks you're fantastic and really good for me"

"That's good, I'm glad they like me" Ryan laughed. "You know my mother was _gushing_ about how beautiful you were. She couldn't stop talking about how none of my other girlfriends were as beautiful as you are. I can't help but agree" Ryan added, making Natalia blush.

"Other girlfriends? Oh goodness, let me hear about these other girls" Natalia teased.

"Okay, well my favorite one is a girl who's sort of the same height as you, she's got brown eyes just like yours and her hair is the same as yours too…come to think of it, she looks a_ lot_ like you"

"You're funny, Ryan Wolfe. Tell me which one you had the longest relationship with" Natalia commanded.

"Talia" Ryan said softly. "You know you're the only one that matters"

"I know, I know" Natalia conceded. "I'm just curious. Who was the first girl you fell in love with?"

"You" Ryan said pointedly, looking at her.

"Now Ryan, don't be silly. How is that possible?" Natalia asked.

"Well in 4th grade I was pretty damn sure I was going to marry this girl named Summer, but that's about it" Ryan teased.

"Seriously though? Just me?"

"Just you" Ryan answered in a serious tone. "I didn't know how amazing it was to be in love with someone until I was with you"

--/--

Calleigh fiddled nervously as she answered the door for Jake. He looked gorgeous as usual: messy hair, a fitted button down that boasted of his muscular body, and dark jeans that made Calleigh bite her lip.

"Well hello there" Jake smiled, sending another wave of shivers all over Calleigh's body.

"Jake…lets just make this short" Calleigh motioned to her living room.

"I wasn't all that surprised to receive your phone call" Jake said. "I hope you've finally come to your senses"

"I have. We can't do this anymore" Calleigh said pointedly.

"Not again, Cal" Jake said. "We were in such a good position"

"Yeah, we were. We were friends. And you ruined that when you started making passes at me, _again_"

"I love you, Calleigh. I don't intend on hiding that, if that's what you're asking me"

"I'm not, I'm just asking you to leave me alone" Calleigh said. "We can't even be friends anymore"

"Because of Eric" the calmness in Jakes voice made Calleigh's skin crawl.

"Because of you. And because I love Eric and Mari more than anything in the entire world, and they deserve my honesty, and you certainly don't"

"Fine" Jake stood up and looked her in the eyes. "I'll stay away from you. I won't work the same cases as you. I won't look at you, or talk to you, or even mention you to anyone. But Calleigh Duquesne, you _cannot_ stop me from loving you"

"I know" Calleigh whispered. "And I'm sorry. But you're a skeleton in my closet that I'd rather like to get rid of"

"Fair enough. I guess this is goodbye" Jake said. "Give my best to Marisol"

"I guess it is. I wish it could be different, because I know Mari's going to miss Uncle Jake bringing her candy. But it was really starting to wear on Eric"

"I guess I'll have to try and understand that" Jake said, walking out into the sunlight. Calleigh shut the door behind him but instead of relief, a wave of nostalgia and loss hit her square in the chest.

**Expect an epilogue up shortly! **


	12. Epilogue

"Look at that!" Calleigh cheered as Eric pitched the ball to their son Aidan and he hit a home run. "My boys should be in the big leagues!"

"Mama!" 5 year old Aidan shouted excitedly, running up to Calleigh. "I'm going to be a world famous baseball player!"

"Yes you are, baby" Calleigh said, hugging her son tightly and planting a kiss on his dirty cheek. "Now go make history"

"Come on, little man, don't leave me hanging" Eric laughed. "You're pitching next!"

"Mom, look at what Mari did to my hair!" 9 year Adriana Yelena pranced up to her mother. "She braided it, just like you do hers!"

"It looks beautiful, baby. Mari, if the law career doesn't work out, you can be a hairdresser" Calleigh joked as Marisol flopped down next to her.

"I don't think grandpa would be too happy about that" Marisol pointed out.

"That's true; Daddy does want you to be a lawyer" Calleigh agreed.

"And me?" Adriana prodded. "What does Grandpa want me to be?"

"I think he wants you to be a CSI" Calleigh said, twirling her braid. "She's got the detailed eye, lamb chop" Calleigh impersonated her father's gruff southern voice, eliciting a giggle from both girls.

"It's nice to see so many smiley faces over here" Eric made his way over to his girls. "Nice hair, bumblebee"

"Daddy!" Adriana whispered loudly. "Don't call me bumblebee. _Stephen's_ here"

"Who is Stephen?" Eric inquired suspiciously, throwing an accusatory look at Marisol and Calleigh, who looked slightly guilty.

"He's the boy Adriana likes" Marisol whispered loudly, causing her sister to elbow her in the ribs.

"Mari, I don't LIKE him. He likes ME" Adriana clarified.

"I don't like the sound of this boy" Eric said, eyeing everyone under the age of 20 in the bleachers suspiciously.

"Come on, Adriana, lets go walk by him and make him jealous" Marisol grabbed her sister's hand.

"Don't worry, Eric. It's just a little crush" Calleigh whispered as they watched Marisol and Adriana skip off in the general direction of Stephen and his family.

"I know, but she's only nine. You know I have trouble digesting the fact that Marisol's going to be a teenager soon, let alone Adriana liking boys" Eric pouted.

"Oh, poor daddy" Calleigh laughed. "What are we going to do when we have to send them off to college?"

"It's not happening"

"Okay, Eric" Calleigh conceded. "I think Aidan and his groupies need you in the dugout" she pushed him lightly towards where the boys were arguing heatedly.

"Oh no…your son has got to bossing the other kids around again" Eric joked.

"We do have the three bossiest kids in Miami" Calleigh agreed. "Go! Before it gets out of hand"

"Okay…love you" Eric kissed her quickly and hustled to the dugout.

--/--

"Sophia! Paxton! I've called you about four times, where are you?" Natalia called up the stairs. "Your dinners are getting cold, babies!"

"Where did the munchkins get to?" Ryan came into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Natalia's waist, and then proceeded to kiss her neck. Natalia melted into his arms as his kissing got more aggressive. "Happy Birthday, beautiful"

"Ryan…behave! The kids are coming downstairs any second" Natalia said, pushing him away gently but reluctantly.

"Look, mama! Look what we made you" the twins came barreling downstairs, glittery crayon colored cards in their hands. "Happy Birthday, Mommy!"

"Aw, what are these?" Natalia gathered the kids into her arms. "Are these for me?"

"Yes" the three year olds replied, dancing around her.

"They're beautiful" Natalia said, hugging them. "Thank you, Sophie and Pax"

"Daddy doesn't get anything?" Ryan asked the twins as he settled them into their seats.

"No, daddy! It's not your birthday!" Sophia giggled, munching on a carrot. "Silly!"

"Okay, okay" Ryan said, giving each of the kids a kiss. "Do you want me to show mommy what we got her, or do you want to help?"

"I wanna go with Daddy!" Paxton proclaimed.

"Of course you do, you always want to be just like daddy" Natalia laughed, combing his light brown hair back.

The unanimous agreement had been that Paxton was a 2 feet tall version of Ryan- hazel eyes, light brown hair, and a smile that could melt even the coldest hearts. Sophia, on the other hand, was a walking version of Natalia- curly amber/brown hair and big brown eyes that demanded the best of everyone.

"Let me see the card you made, Soph" Ryan pulled Sophia into his lap after dinner. "Wow, look at that. You have a career as an artist, baby girl"

"Daddy! Look at mine!" Paxton waved the card in front of Ryan's face.

"It looks fantastic, buddy. Come on up" Ryan pulled Paxton into his lap too and talked quietly with them while Natalia cleaned up the kitchen.

"Ryan Wolfe" Natalia said, walking into the family room. "What is this?" she held up a baby blue Tiffany & Co box. "I found it in the drawer with the garbage bags"

"I put it there" Ryan laughed. "For you to find"

"Ryan…sweetie. You didn't have to get me this" Natalia whispered as she sat down on the couch, admiring the diamond necklace.

"I wanted to. Anyway, Sophia picked it out and she's got impeccable taste, right Sophie?"

"Right! Impebabble" the three year old girl repeated, grinning ear to ear.

"Thank you, its beautiful" Natalia leaned over the kids to kiss Ryan.

"Ew! Mommy! What are you doing?" Paxton and Sophia shrieked. "Gross!"

Natalia laughed and kissed Ryan again among their shrieks and protestations, finally collapsing on top of them on the couch in a heaping mess of laughing, shrieking, and _very_ happy family members.

--/--

"Uncle Jake!" Aidan yelled, racing to the door as Calleigh let Jake in. "You're back!"

"I am!" Jake said, lifting Aidan up and tossing him in the air. "I missed you, little man. You've gotten so big"

"Mari! Adriana! Jake's here!" Calleigh called down the hallway.

"Hey, man" Eric said, high fiving Jake as he ambled into the foyer. "How was France?"

"It was fantastic. You and Cal really need to go one day"

"One day when the children are 30" Calleigh laughed.

"Uncle Jake!" Marisol came rushing into the foyer, her curly hair swinging behind her.

"Marisol Amber. Look at you, you've become a woman" Jake said, enveloping her in a hug. Calleigh smiled as her mind flashed back to nearly 10 years ago.

"_I know I'm not supposed to come see you" Jake said as he entered the hospital room. "But I wanted to come say congratulations and see the baby"_

"_It's okay" Calleigh smiled, rocking a newborn Adriana back and forth. Jake made his way over to Calleigh and peered over her shoulder at the baby. "She's beautiful, Cal. She looks a lot like Eric"_

"_She's definitely taken after Eric" Calleigh agreed, motioning for Jake to sit down._

"_Listen, Calleigh. I went away for a little while for a reason"_

"_Jake, you don't have to explain or apologize" Calleigh said, biting her nails nervously._

_  
"But I do. I went away to get over you, and that was silly. That's not possible. But I understand that my actions hurt you and Eric immensely and complicated things even more. And I __**really**__ want to be in your life, Calleigh. We've known each other for ages and I can't imagine living my life ignoring you. I tried that, and it failed. Miserably."_

"_Its okay, Jake" Calleigh said. "All is forgiven and forgotten. You're a fantastic friend and I've had a lot of trouble coming to terms with the fact that we're never going to speak again. I don't want it to be like that"_

_Jake nodded, a smile breaking out across his face. He gave Calleigh's arm an affectionate squeeze and walked out the door. Seconds later, Eric walked in, a strange expression on his face. Immediately, Calleigh knew._

"_How much of that did you hear?"_

"_Calleigh, I had no idea you and Jake stopped being friends because of me" Eric said._

_  
"No! Not because of you, Eric. Because of what he was doing to you and me"_

"_Calleigh, listen. Jake's a good guy and we both know that. I don't ever want to stop you from maintaining relationships because you think they might bother me. You were such a good sport when I went on various rescue missions for my old girlfriends. I could never imagine doing any less for you"_

_Calleigh smiled. "I'm glad you're okay with everything"_

"_I'm more than okay. Look at this beautiful girl" he said, running a finger across Adriana's cheek. "Amazing"_

"_It really is" Calleigh smiled up at Eric, her world finally in balance_.

"Alright, kiddos! Let's let your parents have some quality time together working the Saturday shift. I've got presents for all of you. How does ice cream sound?" Jake hustled the three kids out of the house, waving a goodbye at Calleigh and Eric.

"So, we have all this time together, Mrs. Delko" Eric said, pulling Calleigh close. "I guess I'll have to shoot you sexy looks from across the lab"

"Eric" Calleigh laughed. "You're hopeless"

Eric rolled his eyes at her and followed her out the door to their cars.

--/--

"Sophia!" Adriana called across Ryan and Natalia's backyard. "I'm over here". Three year old Sophia made a beeline for her older friends as Calleigh made her way over to Natalia.

"We just closed the triple murder case" Calleigh sighed, flopping down next to Natalia on the patio. "I'm exhausted"

"Here. Have a drink" Natalia handed her a strawberry drink. "Valera made them"

"Oh" Calleigh stopped mid-sip. "This is going to be 98 percent alcohol then"

"She promised they were virgin" Natalia laughed. "Where's the hubby?"

"He and Jake are coming together later" Calleigh answered, massaging her temple.

"Wow, so they've really hit it off"

"I think our childlike drama was emasculating both of them immensely" Calleigh laughed. "I'm pretty sure they're over it. It's been years"

"That's good" Natalia said, settling back in her chair. "I can't believe how much everything's changed. I mean, you and Eric are married but you're still good friends with Jake. And H and Yelina _finally_ got together. And who would've thought I was capable of a functional relationship?"

"I know these have been some amazing years" Calleigh agreed, waving at Jake and Eric as they made their way over to where she and Natalia were lounging.

"Well if it isn't Miss Calleigh, lounging around like the princess she is" Jake teased, pulling a chair over.

"Can it, Berkeley" Calleigh rolled her eyes, tugging at Eric's sleeve for a kiss. He obliged, kissing her sweetly before taking a seat next to Jake.

"How was the rest of the shift?"

"Fantastic. I LOVE inhaling sewage water at depths of 60 feet" Eric rolled his eyes. "Where's wolverine?"

"Playing with the kids" Natalia laughed. "Hey RYAN! Your men are here!" Ryan jogged over to say hi to Eric and Ryan, pulling up a seat by them.

"Eric, you look like you just spent hours swimming through Miami's nastiest canals" Ryan said.

"I did, and Berkeley here got to sit on the boat and give me commands"

"Hey now, I'm not the underwater recovery expert" Jake defended. "I'd probably drown in two minutes"

"That's true" Eric consoled himself. "Where are my munchkins?"

"Marisol's at a birthday party, Adriana is swinging somewhere and Aidan's bossing the other kids around"

"I smell delicious grilling" Jake said. "Is that your doing, Ryan?"

"It is indeed. I'm a beast with the grill"

"He is" Natalia added, laughing. "He could out-grill any of you pansies"

"Bring it, Wolfe" Eric said, getting up to follow him to the grill. When Jake didn't follow, Eric yelled, "Berkeley! Stop being such a girl and come over here. Unless you _want_ to listen to what was in this month's issue of Cosmopolitan"

"Now Eric Delko, when have I ever talked about Cosmopolitan? You know I like to play with the big boys" Calleigh said.

"That is true" Eric agreed, winking at her. "How would you like your burger done, ma'am?"

"Well done" Calleigh called after his retreating back. While the men grilled, Natalia, Calleigh, and a slightly inebriated Valera fell into an easy conversation.

Calleigh smiled as she looked around. Their children's laughter mingled with Jake, Ryan, and Eric playfully arguing over the grill. Next to her, Natalia and Valera were having an amusing conversation on the merits of a certain DNA machine. Kitty corner to her, Horatio and Yelina were deep in conversation, his hand resting comfortably on her arm.

Calleigh Duquesne-Delko had never had a stable, reliable family. Her nights were spent wondering where her father had gone and what he had done now, and helping her mother recover from a fierce alcohol addiction. Her stone walls had gone up around the age of 5 and hadn't come down until her family- her family of DNA analysts, CSIs, and Detectives- taught her that life was nothing without the presence of those you love.


End file.
